The Parks
by silkyterrier34
Summary: Mr. Blaire visits and informs Waylon's family that he is now staying at the asylum as a patient. Not believing him, Waylon and Lisa's sons, Owen and Nick, sneak out of the house and to the asylum. After finding out where her boys had gone, Lisa follows. Now at Mount Massive, the race is on for Owen and Nick to find their father and for Lisa to find her whole family.
1. Chapter 1

**Now that I'm a couple of chapters away from finishing a story of mine, I want to post this one. I've had it in my head for what seemed like forever!**

 **I got this idea for two main reasons. I noticed that there don't seem to be a lot of stories on fanfiction that have Waylon's wife Lisa and their boys as main characters. I thought to myself, 'Maybe it's because we never see them in the asylum.'**

 **The second reason being a drawing, the coverart photo, I saw by Relina-ru on deviantart. It's titled _Family_ and is of Waylon Park with Lisa and his boys. They look exactly as I've imagined them to look like. I wasn't able to show the whole drawing, just Waylon and Owen, but if you go to Relina-ru's profile, you should be able to see it. **

**I highly recommend looking at the whole photo so that you can clearly see what the characters look like!**

 **As I said, the coverart is by Relina-ru. She makes fantastic Outlast drawings that I highly recommend you look at! Thank you very much for letting me use the picture Relina-ru!**

 **I don't own Outlast!**

* * *

The school bus rolled through the quiet streets of the Leadville neighborhood. Fall was already taking hold of the atmosphere with the leaves changing colors and the air getting colder. The sun had already reached its high point and began to sink to the west.

Owen Park, the eldest child of Waylon and Lisa, sat on the bus, staring out the window he was sitting next to. At eight years old Owen was a bit rebellious, smart, and he could be a bit disrespectful to certain people, but he had a good heart. He took his job as the elder brother very seriously, especially now that their father had been gone for two weeks at his new job.

He still remembered the day when he left...

* * *

 _Waylon carried his large suitcase with ease into the living room. Lisa stood up from her chair, where she had been waiting for him. The boys paused their Wii game so they could say goodbye to their father._

 _Their father had sat his suitcase down before hugging his wife, holding her around the waist and resting his head on her shoulder._

 _Lisa wrapped her arms behind his neck, "Have fun."_

 _"I will." He pulled his head away from her shoulder so he could look her in the eye. Both had small smiles on their faces, but in truth, they didn't want Waylon to go to the asylum. Owen knew this because he overheard them talk about Murkoff's corruption. But Waylon needed this job, and he was hopeful that he could help clear away at least some of the evil._

 _Owen didn't think the two would ever let go of each other, but they did, grant it hesitantly._

 _Waylon then kneeled so he was at eye level with his two sons, "You two be good okay? Listen to everything your mother says, do well in school, and get to bed on time." That last part was more for Owen._

 _The youngest child, Nick, asked, "You'll be back soon right?" At Waylon's nod he continued, "Before my birthday?"_

 _"Your birthday's over a month away Nicky. I'll definitely be back by then. Long before then probably."_

 _Owen grinned, "We'll be sure to drive Mom crazy for you."_ _Waylon chuckled before both of his boys simultaneously attacked him with a hug. He, of course, returned it._

 _When they let go, Lisa said with a smile, "I think 'listen to everything your mother says' includes not driving her crazy."_

 _Their father stood and picked up his suitcase, "I'll be sure to write everyday. I brought extra paper to be sure of that."_

 _He kissed Lisa, earning a slight "Yuck" from Nick, and walked to his rusty blue car._

 _As he drove away, the three remaining members of the family waved until they couldn't see him anymore._

* * *

Owen was interuppted from his thoughts when Nick, who had been sitting next to him on the bus, tugged on his sleeve, "When is Daddy supposed to come back?" He took a piece of paper out of his backpack, "I made this today and I really want to show him!"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe next week."

Nick pouted. Turning six in October, Nick was a very excitable little boy. He was also smart, very curious, adventurous, but he also liked to stick to the rules. At school, he stuck to his brother's side whenever he could (this earned a bit of teasing from Owen's classmates) and looked up to him. While he was a pain in the butt at times, Owen loved him.

Owen encouraged, "I'm sure Mom will really like the picture of... what is your picture?"

Nick happily showed off his painting, "It's you, Daddy, Mommy, and me!" Owen saw the four ordinary looking stick figures in the drawing, standing on grass and smiling at him. He realized those were him and his family members.

There was something a bit confusing to him though, "What's that in the background?"

"That's a wizard on a flying skateboard using a guitar that shoots lasers to fight a t-rex. I added that for you."

The elder brother grinned at him, "Thanks." He returned to staring out the window as Nick put his painting back in his backpack.

He pondered Nick's question a bit more. When was he coming back? They hadn't recieved any letters from him saying when he would return. In fact, Lisa and Owen were suspicious that he might not be sending letters at all. Waylon was the type of man who believed sending handwritten letters was more meaningful. The ones they got were typed, and used a writing style and vocabulary that Waylon didn't use.

Whenever Lisa tried to call him, the phone would say he was unavailable. Perhaps it shouldn't be a total surprise since he is high on a mountain, but it still frustrated the family.

Again, Nick tugged on his sleeve, "An asylum is a place where crazy people live, right?"

"Yeah."

"Jake told me today that crazy people are locked up like in prison because they're dangerous. Are any of them going to hurt Daddy?"

Owen shook his head, "Dad's a pretty fit guy. He can take care of himself."

"Jake also said that crazy people are really strong."

"Asylums have ways to keep their employees safe. Besides, isn't Jake the kid that told you that birds can stick their beaks in people's ears and pull out their brain?"

"He saw it with his own eyes!" Nick covered his ears as if to protect them, "He said the guy lived long enough to see his brain being eaten!"

He rolled his eyes, "He's lying Nick. It's complete bologna."

As Nick crossed his arms Owen looked back outside. Their house was now in view as well as their driveway.

"Nick look!" Both boys were now looking out the window to see that their father's car was in the driveway. They got smiles so big that it hurt, but they didn't care.

As soon as the bus stopped the boys jumped up, getting much attention from the other children, and ran to the front. Both hopped out of the bus, but Nick, having realized he'd forgotten to thank the bus driver, stopped and went back to quickly give him a quick thank you.

This had given Owen a head start, but Nick was able to pass him when Owen suddenly stopped. As it turned out their father's car had hidden another car, a torus, from their view on the bus before and there was someone in the passenger's seat. Now Owen was staring straight into the eyes of an unfamiliar man wearing scrubs. The way he looked at him made the boy want to shiver.

Owen heard the door swing open and saw that his brother had stopped in his tracks as soon as the youngest got inside. Giving an uneasy glance to the man in scrubs, Owen jogged over to stand by his brother. He shut the door behind him before taking in the scene.

At the kitchen table their mother, dark hair in a loose ponytail, was sitting across from not their father, but a man with black hair in a suit.


	2. Chapter 2

**It's been forever since I've had a chance to post anything! School certainly keeps me busy! :(**

 **Lily, I'm glad you're liking the story and I do know some great Outlast fics. The big one I'm reading right now that updates often is Milestones by Miazaki-san. I've just started reading Mind of Its Own by Painty and flytreys has recently brought my attention to her fic Skyedive.**

 **Lillie, I'm glad you think so! Hopefully you like this chapter too!**

 **I don't own Outlast!**

* * *

Owen and Nick stood still, not taking their eyes off of the mysterious stranger. The man was well groomed, but there was something about him that Owen immediately disliked.

The man asked Lisa, still looking at the boys, "I take it that these are your sons?"

Owen looked to his mother, who seemed extremely uncomfortable with the situation. He himself felt very uncomfortable. Who would be comfortable with strangers at their home? The guy outside creeped him out and this guy just made him feel like he was being judged or looked down upon. He would much rather it had been his father sitting in that chair across from his mother.

Nick walked over to Lisa and held her hand, "Who is this Mommy?" Owen wanted to ask the same thing.

Lisa answered him, "This is Mr. Blaire. He's your father's boss."

"Ex-boss I'm afraid," Mr. Blaire corrected. Lisa gave the man a stern look, one that she would give to Owen or Nick when they were in trouble.

"Ex-boss?" asked Owen, "What happened?"

Before Lisa could stop him, the man said, "Your father's been diagnosed with a mental illness. He's now staying at Mount Massive as a patient."

While Nick's face fell at the news Owen searched the man's eyes to see how true his words were. A teacher had once told him that when people lie their pupils shrink. However, he found that he didn't want to look this man in the eye for too long.

Mr. Blaire smirked, "He's in good hands."

Their mother now sounded very angry, "My husband belongs here Mr. Blaire!"

"Mrs. Park, I understand this must be difficult for you-"

She interrupted, her voice cold, "Difficult is an understatement, Mr. Blaire. Mostly because I know my husband very well. He had no illness when he left and I find it hard to believe that he could develop one in two weeks."

"Sometimes illnesses are well hidden. It took us two weeks for our doctors to realize that he had one. We'll treat him as best we can at Mount Massive."

She pulled Nick into a hug, as if afraid Murkoff would take him too."I don't want him at Mount Massive Mr. Blaire. He belongs here and I will be sure to get him back!" Owen didn't recall a time when his mother sounded more determined.

Nick hugged his mother back and looked at Mr. Blaire with pleading eyes. Owen took note on how indifferent the visitor looked. The man appeared to have no pity for his family. The boy felt sorry his dad had to work with this guy for two weeks.

Mr. Blaire sighed, "I'm afraid that's just not ideal for you. Think about your insurance. What would they think of all of this?" Lisa said nothing. "You are much better off letting us treat him Mrs. Park."

"But not Waylon."

Mr. Blaire stood, "You're a reasonable woman Mrs. Park. Surely you must understand that any efforts for you to release your husband aren't wise... or safe."

Owen watched as his angry mother stood and his brother hid behind her, "Safe?!"

"Mr. Park's condition may make him dangerous. Releasing him back to the public may be disastrous."

Owen wanted to cheer his mom on as she stepped right up to Mr. Blaire, looking at him with fierce eyes as she said, "My husband's not dangerous! Far from it! And I am willing to go to Hell and back to get him out of your clutches!" Mr. Blaire now looked really angry, but that didn't seem to deter Lisa, "I will get my husband back."

He responded in a voice that made Owen and Nick nervous, "When he gets better Mrs. Park!"

Without warning, Nick ran up to Mr. Blaire, "Can we see him?"

A bit taken aback by Nick's sudden outburst, Mr. Blaire answered, "We don't allow visitors. Sorry Kid."

"You don't sound sorry," Owen mumbled.

Nick looked very disappointed, "Well... at least give him this!" He removed his backpack and took out a picture, handing it to the man, "It might help him get better."

The man took the picture and studied it, "What is this?"

Nick explained, "That's our family and a wizard battling a t-rex." Mr. Blaire didn't say anything, just folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

Owen figured he might as well ask, "When will our father be back? Nick's birthday is next month."

The little boy nodded, "He said he'd be there!"

The man headed toward the door, "Highly unlikely. A pleasure to meet you Mrs. Park."

He left. Their mother looked like she wanted to say something rude, but her boys' presence stopped her.

"I'm worried about Daddy," Nick told Lisa.

Lisa smiled, "I know Nicky. We'll get him back."

Owen looked out the window to see the man in scrubs now standing outside the car, talking to an enraged Mr. Blaire. He was probably ranting about his mother's behavior, not that Lisa would care. Owen firmly believed the guy got less than what he deserved. He actually kind of wished that he and Nick hadn't interrupted their conversation so that the guy could maybe get yelled at or slapped in the face.

He put his hand on the glass, drowning out the conversation his mother and brother were having. He watched as the man in scrubs took out and lit a cigarette. Mr. Blaire seemed to be yelling now, and the boy wondered how he couldn't hear him. Owen couldn't help but smile at Blaire's outrage.

The smile vanished when the man in scrubs looked toward him. Taking notice of his coworker's actions, Blaire looked toward the window to see Owen. He turned away from the window with his coworker to talk in private.

Owen couldn't hear Mr. Blaire as he said, "Andrew, Mr. Park and his family deserve the best treatment possible. I'm leaving it up to you to be sure our patient has the least comfortable experience that we have to offer."

Andrew nodded, "I'll take care of it."

Owen watched as Andrew got in the driver's seat and Mr. Blaire in the passenger's side. They drove away, back to Owen assumed was the terrible place his father was being kept.

Nick finished the conversation with his mother with an, "Okay Mommy," before walking to his room. Lisa then looked at her eldest, seeing that he was still looking at the spot where the car had been.

She walked over to him and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder, "We'll get him back."

He looked up at her, "What's the plan?"

"I was just telling Nick that I'm going to be looking for the best lawyer possible to plead our case."

"That's all?"

She nodded sadly, "I'm afraid that's all we can do now."

Owen shook his head in disbelief. That couldn't be all, it just couldn't! There had to be something Owen could do instead of just waiting.

Seeing the gears in her son's head turn, Lisa suggested, "Why don't you go in the computer room and finish homework."

He nodded and left for the computer room. Owen agreed that he had a lot of research to do.

But not for school.

* * *

 **Was it good? Bad? I'd love to hear your feedback!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the third chapter!**

 **Lily, I'm so glad that you like Lisa and I'm sure we all wouldn't mind if she had kicked Jeremy's butt! :) Hopefully you'll continue to like her as the story goes on. Also, you're very welcome for the recommendations!**

 **Riceball231, I'm also glad that you like Lisa! You're certainly right in the fact that the asylum is no place for anyone, let alone children. I'm hoping Owen and Nick don't go through too much by keeping this story rated T. As for whether everyone will be heading to the asylum, you'll see in this chapter that the boys are on their way!**

* * *

Owen examined the computer screen in front of him. Some research showed him that Mount Massive wasn't too far away, bringing him some relief. However, there were some articles he found that he didn't like.

Some articles by a Miles Upshur described Murkoff as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Owen didn't quite understand everything, but he did understand that Murkoff took numerous 'good deeds' and twisted them for their own benefit. In the end, they only helped themselves.

He found little on their asylum. It had shut down years ago before being reopened in 2009 by Murkoff. No news ever came out of that building and no patient had ever been released. The closest person to get out was a William Hope, but his mother died before she could get him.

Owen pushed back the keyboard and crossed his arms on the desk. The more he researched Murkoff, the less he liked them. They were greedy and didn't care at all about others, it was hard to believe his father had ever worked with them. He and the company were polar opposites.

Why the secrecy in the asylum? What are they hiding? Owen highly doubted that they were truly helping their patients. Not only are some of the variants still there after four years but helping them doesn't fit their personality.

"You're going after him aren't you?"

Startled, Owen looked behind him to see that Nick had opened the door. His eyes were full of worry as he stared at his elder brother.

Owen nodded, "Dad's with a bunch of bad people."

"Mommy's calling lawyers right now."

"We don't have time Nick. Dad needs to get out of there now!"

Nick's eyes widened at how serious his brother was, "These really are bad people. Not just mean."

"That's right," Owen closed the internet and stood in front of his brother, "I know I'm going to get grounded and I know that this is a stupid idea, but Dad really does need to get out before anything bad happens."

Nick nodded, "I understand, but what about Mommy?"

"I need you to cover for me while I'm gone."

It seemed for a moment Nick was going to say yes, but he quickly shook his head saying a bit too loudly, "No! I want to go with you!"

"Shh, keep quiet!" Owen sighed, "I don't want you to slow me down."

Nick answered with, "Brothers stick together and I want Daddy back!"

Again, Owen sighed. He then realized that he may have no choice. Nick preferred to follow rules, and it would only be a matter of time before he goes back to agreeing with their mother. Better it be away from Lisa as so he can't tattle.

"Fine."

* * *

Lisa was on the phone with yet another lawyer. Everyone she had called had seemed eager to help until she told them who they would be fighting against.

The lawyer explained, "Murkoff is a good industry Mrs. Park. Your husband will be fine."

Lisa replied, "I have to disagree. He doesn't have an illness and he in no way- hello?"

She groaned as she realized another lawyer had hung up. She couldn't say she was surprised. Murkoff is a powerful business that has yet to be touched. Not that it would deter her from trying. Waylon had to get out of that place, not just for her happiness, but the happiness of her entire family.

Hearing footsteps, she looked back to see Owen and Nick walk into the room.

Owen spoke, "Tyler invited us for dinner. Can we go?"

Tyler was a friend of Owen's that lived down the street. While Nick didn't often go to his house Owen would sometimes be invited for dinner. The distraction certainly would be nice for her sons and she could focus more time on finding a lawyer instead of making dinner.

"Be home by the usual time."

Owen saluted, "Right." He took Nick's hand and led him outside. Lisa had to say that she was surprised that Nick didn't say anything, but brushed it off thinking that he was upset.

She picked up the phone, "Here we go again."

* * *

Owen and Nick walked down the street behind their house, picking up their pace as they noticed the setting sun.

"So where are we going?" asked Nick.

"Chuck the taxi driver lives here. He'll take us to Mount Massive."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, "He'll drive us. We just have to say the right thing."

Before the boys knew it, they were walking up the driveway with the taxi and ringing Chuck's doorbell. They stood patiently on the small porch, knowing he was home. The door opened and the boys looked up at the smoking man in the sweat stained tank top. He seemed a bit surprised to see them, but he didn't slam the door in their face.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Owen answered, "A ride to Mount Massive Asylum."

Chuck raised an eyebrow before tapping some of the ash from his cigarette onto the porch, "Sounds like an odd place for two kids to be heading off to."

Nick excitedly said, "We're going on a prison break!"

At the man's confused look, Owen began to explain, "Our dad started working there two weeks ago. Remember?"

The man nodded, "I remember. What's that got to do with a prison break?"

This time Nick explained, "The bad men locked him up as a patient."

Chuck coughed a bit in surprise, "As a patient? I didn't think he'd need to be in an asylum."

"That's just it," said Owen, "he doesn't. Mom's calling lawyers, but the people running that place aren't going to treat him well as long as he's there. That's why we're breaking him out."

"And just what are you going to do once you get him out? You think he'll be a free man?"

"If Dad really needs to be in a hospital, then he can go somewhere else, but even if that doesn't work, we need to try."

Chuck put out his cigarette and threw it into a nearby trash bin, "Got any money?"

Nick offered, "No, but we can give you money once Daddy's out."

The boys watched anxiously as Chuck pondered their proposal. Owen didn't have another plan on getting there, if Chuck refused their father would have to stay for another night.

"Alright, I'll hold you to it. Get in."

Nick and Owen high-fived each other in celebration.

* * *

 _Some time later..._

Waylon Park couldn't think over the static that he was hearing, and his screams certainly weren't helping. At that moment all he could focus on was the screen that he was forced to look at. He couldn't get up since he was restrained in the chair and all of his efforts to close his eyes were in vain.

Just then, the sound of the power turning off reached his ears, the moving images on the screen disappeared, and his restraints clicked as they released him. He looked at his free hands in disbelief before looking to his left at a tired looking variant. He then looked to his right to see another patient shoot up from his chair and look around. The variant noticed Waylon staring and put a finger to his lips, shushing him.

He decided to follow the patient's example and push himself off his chair, only to tumble forward mere seconds afterwards. Waylon noted how he could still see the moving images and hear the static despite the screen being turned off.

"You hear that don't you?!" Waylon turned his head to look at the standing patient. He was flat against the wall as he spoke. "Do you hear it?!"

Waylon watched as a black cloud approached from behind the man, "Look out!"

It was too late. As the variant looked behind him, the fully formed Walrider grabbed him and lifted him in the air. The stranger's screams caused Waylon to scramble backwards, but he froze when the lights turned off. Thinking quickly he crawled to a camera stand before standing and taking the camera he knew had night vision.

Before he put the camera up to his eye he had heard the variant's pained cry and the sound of guts spraying in multiple directions. So it wasn't a surprise to him when he saw the blood covered wall in his night vision.

He looked away from the bloody wall before he could throw up. His thoughts immediately went to the family he had left at home. He had wanted to protect them and expose Murkoff at the same time. That's why he had given the tip to the reporter instead of the police, but even that had consequences he was trying to avoid. Waylon just hoped that Lisa wouldn't have to be burdened with financial trouble now that he had angered one of the most powerful corporations in the world.

Looking again at the wall covered in blood he wondered if he was going to get out alive. He did know, however, that he was going to try.

For the sake of Lisa, Owen, and Nick.

* * *

 **The most difficult part so far is over. When I first got the idea for this fanfiction I wondered often how the boys would get there in the first place. Being the good mother she is, Lisa isn't going to just drive them there. The boys would have to somehow sneak their way over there. After juggling a few ideas, this is my most logical one.**

 **The boys will be arriving at the hospital in the next chapter, but in the meantime what did you think?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Lily, yeah someone definitely should fire Chuck. Lisa definitely isn't going to be any better knowing her kids ran off. It won't help when she actually gets to the place where they went. Owen doesn't really have much of a plan. He's mostly just playing it by ear. Who knows? Maybe Waylon will run into Young-ja! :) I plan on mostly viewing the story from either the boys or Lisa. Waylon will have a few spots here and there but not nearly as many. It's so that readers can see where he is compared to his family.**

 **Riceball231, I'd love to answer all of your questions, but sadly that would be spoilers to anyone else who reads this. I can tell you that it's not my writing style to plan out every detail before I write. Basically, I come up with what is generally going to happen in the story and add more details as I go.**

 **Oh, and if any of you hated Chuck before, then I am sorry to tell you that he's just going to get more irresponsible in this chapter.**

* * *

Nick and Owen watched the trees fly pass from the back of the taxi. Both had to admit that the mountain looked very spooky now that the sun was down.

Chuck apologized before taking another bite of his sandwich, "Sorry I had to stop boys, but a guy's got to eat."

Owen couldn't help but reply bitterly, "It's on you if we don't reach Dad before his eyes are plucked out."

Chuck looked in the rear view mirror as he replied, "What do you think happens in asylums? The worst your father's going through right now is a very boring group therapy session."

Nick tugged on Owen's sleeve, "Should we have brought Mommy?"

Shocked that his brother would suggest such a thing, Owen exclaimed, "Are you crazy?! Mom's not going to even try! They said that they don't allow visitors!"

Again, Chuck looked in the mirror, "Then how do you plan on getting in?"

"I'm working on it."

Shaking his head, Nick continued, "Mommy's stubborn. If she wants to visit Daddy then she will. She'd know how to get him out. I know her like the back of my hand!" He showed the back of his hand for emphasis, "If we had told Mommy that we were going to get him she'd help us."

"I admit that Mom would try to visit him, but there's no way she'd let us come along."

The three watched as the dark outline of a large building came into view. It looked like something out of a horror movie. None of the lights in the building seemed on. Even Chuck couldn't help but stop chewing on his sandwich and stare in awe.

Chuck stopped the taxi in front of the large gate and swallowed the last of his sandwich, "This is it."

After some silence, Nick stated, "This place is creepy." All three jumped when multiple lights suddenly came on in the windows.

The taxi driver turned back to the boys, "Looks like there was a power outage. You boys better get going. I've got places to be."

Owen opened his door, "R-right." Nick opened his door, but grew hesitant when he noticed Owen stutter. Thoughts of his father and seeing his brother walking up to the gate caused Nick to move forward.

Together Owen and Nick pushed the large gate open and listened as the taxi drove off. They were too busy looking at the building to notice that the gate closed behind them.

"Hey look!" Nick jogged over to a red jeep. He pulled on the driver's side handle in an effort to pull himself up and look in the window. He leaped off it in surprise when it actually opened.

Owen walked over and looked inside the jeep, "He left his keys in the car."

Nick explained, "I thought that there might be a flashlight in that jeep. You know, in case the power went off again." Nick climbed in and looked in the glove compartment.

"Find one?"

"No," Nick replied, disappointed. He climbed out and Owen closed the door.

"It was a good idea, but we need to get inside now."

The boys kept walking, opening a side gate and weaving through military vehicles. When they reached the front door it was locked.

Nick looked up at Owen, "Now what?"

Owen turned and walked down the stairs, "We find another way in. Simple."

"Right. Simple," Nick followed. Eventually the boys found a gate that was bent at the bottom and crawled under it. They saw a red ladder and quietly made their way towards it.

"Follow me," Owen instructed before latching onto the ladder rungs. He began climbing, trying to ignore the fact that the ladder swayed a bit. Nick began to climb as well, trying to imagine that he was climbing up a ladder to the top of a slide or a tree house.

Owen reached the top and pulled himself up onto the platform. Standing, he looked back to see Nick still climbing. Thinking he would catch up, Owen began to walk away to the other side of the platform.

Nick reached the top when suddenly, the ladder fell from under him, "Owen!"

Being the good brother he is, Owen ran back and dived so that his stomach was on the platform. He grabbed Nick before he could fall with the ladder. The brothers watched as the red ladder fell back and hit the ground, jumping slightly when it made a loud clang.

The eldest grunted as he pulled Nick up onto the platform with him. They stood up and looked at each other.

"You okay?" asked Owen.

"Yeah," Nick replied, "Now lets find Daddy."

After jumping across a gap and climbing onto an even higher platform, they found themselves in a room. Its only source of light was from the lit hallway that an open door revealed.

Nick held Owen's hand. He didn't enjoy the atmosphere of the building at all. He thought it was due to the darkness of the room, but then he saw something shiny on the carpet.

"Owen, there's glass on the floor."

"That's because a light bulb broke. See?" He pointed to the broken light.

"Why hasn't anyone cleaned it up?"

"Maybe it hasn't been noticed yet."

The two entered the hallway, they were about to turn right but were stopped by a barricade of furniture.

Nick asked, "What's that doing there?"

"I... I don't know..." Owen tried to peek through the barricade, but didn't see much.

"This place doesn't smell like a hospital." Owen too had noticed the stench of the building. It smelled of rot, mold, and copper. It was the exact opposite of what a hospital should smell like.

Not bothering to reply to Nick's observation, Owen said, "I think I see a door that exits this from this other room. Come on."

Owen pulled Nick into the room but stopped when they saw a bald man standing in front of a TV that showed nothing but static. The boys walked to his side so that they could see his face. He seemed completely entranced by the television and the outfit he was wearing had a number on the front.

Nick spoke, "Hello." No response.

"I think he's out of it," Owen said as he exited the room.

Nick walked into the hallway and couldn't help but notice the red on the walls and floor. Some were even shaped like hand and footprints. A glance at Owen's shocked face revealed that it hadn't gone unnoticed by him either.

"Is that blood?" asked Nick.

Inside, Owen wasn't sure, but he said as confidently as he could, "Not real blood. It's Halloween decorations."

Nick couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "It's September."

"That's not too early. There are stores preparing for Christmas you know."

Nick really wanted to believe Owen, especially since he sounded so confident, but that blood looked so real. It even had that copper smell to it. He settled with ignoring the blood as he and his brother walked down the hallway.

At the end of the hall there was an open door leading into another hallway. The hallway appeared to go around and was overlooking a large room. The boys couldn't tell what the room was because they couldn't see well through the glass that also surrounded it.

Turning right, they ran into another barricade.

Owen groaned before heading toward a closed door, "Hopefully this loops around." He turned the knob and pushed the door open.

The stench that greeted them caused Nick to lift the front of his shirt over his mouth and nose. Owen gagged at the smell and covered his own mouth and nose with his hands. Once they recovered, they looked back at the room.

Their eyes widened at the body on the ground in front of them. Blood was evident on the white shirt and the head was gone.

"Another decoration," Owen said as he walked in. Nick followed, still keeping his shirt on his face.

A few turns around some bookshelves and they came across a bunch of heads and an impaled person. It was difficult to see the faces in the dark, so Nick jogged over toward the light that came through the cracks of the door and opened it.

Light flooded in, allowing them to see the soldier and heads. The sight caused Nick to drop his shirt in shock. Owen, who was still by the soldier and heads, couldn't help but take a few steps back in horror. He had hoped to see obviously plastic heads and that the person would just be some monster holding a 'Happy Halloween' sign.

"Owen... be honest... Are these really Halloween decorations?"

He knew he wouldn't be able to lie to Nick or himself anymore, "No. No they're not."

* * *

 **So the boys are in the asylum. I'm pretty sure if Waylon knew this he would be very worried to say the least.**

 **I'd love to hear your thoughts in the reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Just in time for Halloween!**

 **Lily, yep, Miles is here! :D By the time the boys got in Miles had already been drugged.**

 **CG, thank you so much for your story idea, but I think I'm going to take a break from Life is Strange for awhile. I'm sure there are plenty of writers out there who would love to write your story! They'd probably be better choices than me if they're Pricefield fans too. Like I've said before, I do read some Pricefield stories, but I'm a Marren fan. Again, I do appreciate you thinking of me to write it! :)**

 **Riceball231, keeping a teen rating is probably going to be one of my biggest challenges. I don't want the boys to go through so much that the rating has to change to M because they are children, but they are at Mount Massive. It may be unavoidable. If you or anyone thinks that I've written something that's too graphic or violent for a T rating than feel free to tell me and I'll either rewrite it or change the rating.**

* * *

Owen felt like his knees were going to give out from under him as he stared at the scene. He had never seen so many heads detached from bodies.

Come to think of it, he's never seen as much as one head detached from a body.

It wasn't until he heard footsteps from the other side of the room that he ran out, pushing Nick into the hallway and slamming the door shut.

Seeing a chair, he ran to it, "Help me move this!" Nick obeyed and faster than they thought possible they pushed the chair all the way to the door. They moved even faster when they heard someone slamming themselves against it.

They managed to block the door before whoever was on the other side could break it down. The slamming then stopped, and the boys sighed as relief washed over them.

The feeling didn't last long.

Before the boys could do anything else a variant's hand crashed through some old wood on the door they just blocked. Both screamed as they ran down the hallway and were stopped by another barricade.

They leaned on the wall, trying to recover from the scare. Minutes passed before they could even catch their breaths. Shaking, Nick went up to a giant hole in the glass so that he could look into the lobby.

Owen looked at the wide crack in the barricade, "We can easily fit through this. Obviously we can't go back the way we came." There was no response. "Nick?"

Nick was shaking even harder and Owen jogged over to look through the hole too. Anyone could see it was a lobby, but it was also filled with blood and bodies of officers who appeared to have dropped right where they were killed.

Owen pulled his brother away from the hole and held his shoulders as he looked him straight in the eye, "Nick, listen to me! We can't panic right now!"

"Did... was one of them Daddy?" Nick asked.

He shook his head, "No. Those were all officers. Everyone we've seen so far who..." He stopped himself, choosing his next words carefully," There wasn't a patient in that lobby. Dad's alive!"

Nick smiled a little, "Good. We need to find Daddy before leaving. I don't think anyone will try to stop us."

Owen ruffled Nick's hair, "That's the spirit. Come on, through this gap."

The boys squeezed through the barricade with ease before continuing on to some stairs. Deciding it was best to avoid the bodies for now, they turned right into a different hallway.

As they walked Owen let the guilt sink in. He didn't regret coming to get his father, in fact he was more determined to get him than before. It was the fact that he brought Nick with him to this place that he regretted.

He had come expecting to see a regular hospital. He thought his biggest problem would be having to sneak by doctors and nurses. Otherwise, his mother would be called and she'd pick him up. Nick could handle being scolded, even if he would cry a bit, but getting grounded was the least of their worries now that they were in this place.

Nick was in danger as long as they were here. Owen hoped he could keep him as oblivious to that fact as possible, but that didn't mean he was safe. Owen would take on all of the responsibility to get them out with their father. It was a shame Owen couldn't send Nick back the way they came though.

They froze when a vent opened and a ball of paper flew out and in front of their feet. Staring up at the vent they could see an outline of a person, except one side of his head seemed larger than the other.

When the man spoke it sounded like it was mostly air exiting his mouth, "Can't jump. I will meet you."

The vent closed and Nick picked up the paper ball.

"What is it?" Owen asked as Nick unfolded it.

He read, _"Find me. We can get to Father Martin. With him you will be safe from all but these three. Signed, Patient 0763."_

"Let me see," Owen leaned over Nick's shoulder to see that under the message were three drawings of stick figures.

The first and tallest one had the regular stick arms and legs, but his middle was a large circle. There were also chains by the wrists and ankles. The second was a normal stick figure but had long, straight hair with little circles on the face representing glasses. The third was simply a person with a bow tie and huge grin.

Nick asked, "Are these the people we're supposed to look out for?"

Owen nodded, "I don't know if we can trust the guy in the vent, but we should still avoid these guys."

* * *

Lisa zipped up her favorite, black jacket. While the sleeves and collar were made of knit fabric the rest was polyester. But what Lisa loved about it was that the two pockets zipped up, providing a safe place to put her wallet and car keys.

Apparently, her boys had lost track of time and were still at Tyler's. That wasn't a problem. All Lisa had to do was pick them up and bring them back. It was the first time the boys came home late in a very long time, so she decided that a lecture wasn't necessary.

Besides, she had lost track of time herself unsuccessfully trying to get a lawyer. Perhaps she'd have to try more expensive ones. Sure the family is in some debt but they certainly won't be able to pay that off while Waylon's in the asylum.

Grabbing her keys from the counter she walked to the front door. Right as she opened it she saw Chuck, who had been preparing to knock. The outline of his taxi could be seen parked on the street.

He jumped slightly, "Oh, Mrs. Park."

Surprised, she answered, "Hello... can I help you?"

He held out a little slip of paper, "This is how much you owe me."

Instead of taking it, Lisa stared at the paper, "For what?"

"Your sons stopped by my place asking me to drive them to Mount Massive Asylum."

As soon as he said that Lisa slammed the door behind her as she stepped outside, "You what?!"

"They said they wanted to rescue Mr. Park!" He would never admit it. but he was a bit startled by how Lisa got infuriated so quickly.

"So you drove two children to an asylum without their mother and just left them there alone?!" she exclaimed angrily.

Chuck took a few steps back, "Relax Lady! It's my job!"

She clutched her head as she yelled, "You're such an irresponsible idiot!"

"I'm supposed to give people a ride who ask for them!"

Lisa crossed her arms, "Then I'm sure your boss won't mind when I tell him what you did!" She turned and opened the door of her gray minivan.

Now Chuck was panicking, "Anything but that!"

Keeping the door open, she walked back, "It's either that or I smack you into next week!"

"By all means go ahead! Just don't tell my boss. He'll-"

The next thing he knew, Chuck fell sideways onto the lawn. He held his jaw, trying to crack it back into place. He couldn't help but be surprised. Lisa was _much_ stronger than she looked.

"Thanks," he said simply, but even that hurt.

"Don't mention it," she answered as she ran to her car. She hopped in and slammed the door before looking for the asylum on the GPS. She quickly started the car and put on her seat belt as soon as she found it.

"Mrs. Park!" yelled Chuck as he knocked on the window.

Fuming, Lisa rolled it down, "What?!"

"Should I take you?"

Putting on a fake smile, she replied with, "Oh I think you've done quite enough!"

"Well can I just ask you one question before you go?" He continued as she raised her eyebrow, "Say hypothetically it turns out that your husband is stuck in that asylum for the rest of his life. Would you be interested in getting some coffee or-?"

She began rolling up the window saying, "Goodbye Charles."

"Yeah that's what I thought."

Lisa backed out of the driveway, half hoping that she would run over Chuck's foot. As soon as she was in the street she sped away from the dumbfounded taxi driver and toward the asylum.

* * *

 **I tried to make the identity of the stick figures obvious. Can you tell who they are?**

 **I'm sure many of you guys were hoping Chuck would get punched in the face. I know Miazaki-san mentioned it. I wrote that part thinking that Chuck was getting what he deserved, but then I realized that he wasn't getting what he truly deserved by a long shot. Even if Lisa did break his jaw. Who knows, maybe Waylon will get a shot at it! :)**

 **Let me know what you think! I love reading reviews! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Lily, you got them all right! :D I'm also glad you like Lisa!**

 **Riceball231, your comment about Lisa being a WWE champion made me laugh! I also like your idea about disclaimers.**

 **Subcontinent, I'm really glad you like the story! :) I remember when I first revealed their ages to my brother, he had said, "Holy crap, they're going to die!" An idiot driving the boys up there was honestly the only plausible thing that I could come up with. Original ideas were them hitching a ride on a bus or simply riding their bikes there, but then I came up with reasons why they wouldn't work.**

 **I don't own Outlast!**

* * *

Nick clung onto his brother's hand like his life depended on it. He held it so tight that Owen felt like his hand would even break. Owen couldn't blame him though, for the asylum had proven itself terrifying.

As the two continued walking, Nick asked, "Where do you think Daddy is?"

Owen shrugged, "I don't know, but we'll find him."

Nick nodded, "I hope he's okay."

Owen didn't say anything as they came to a door at the end of the hall. Giving a quick glance at Nick, he slowly opened it. They flinched at the creaking sound it made, hoping it didn't attract any patients.

What they were greeted with was a room filled with shelves. It was only lit with one light bulb, but they could still make out the blood on the walls. Without a word they walked inside. Looking past one of the shelves they noticed a large hole.

Owen pointed at it, "That hole is big enough for both of us to fit through."

"I hope it leads us to Daddy."

"Me too, but we still don't know exactly where it goes." He released Nick's hand and stepped through the hole saying, "I'll go first. I'll call you if it's safe."

Nick walked up to the hole, "You want to split up?"

"Not for long. It's just so I can see if it's safe." Owen left the room that the hole led into and noticed that he was in another hall. Groaning at being in another hallway, he began opening the several doors, seeing if there was anything he should be concerned about or a way deeper into the asylum. Each time he was met with darkness.

Nick stood patiently, waiting for Owen to tell him that the coast was clear. He couldn't help but rock back and forth on his feet as he worried about the fate of his brother.

Owen opened another door to see it had a patient sleeping in a bed. Gently closing the door, he went over to the next room.

The room had one flickering lamp that revealed some scratched in words on the dresser the lamp rested on. Curious, Owen walked into the room and observed the words. Most were gruesome like 'die' or 'blood,' but there was one word he didn't recognize.

He wondered what 'Walrider' meant. It had to be important, as it was by far the largest word of them all.

Deciding that the hallway was safe enough for the brothers to travel through, he turned to exit the room. There was still one more door to check, but Nick would be safe in this hallway.

When he entered the hallway he was knocked over by the variant that had been sleeping in the previous room. He screamed in surprise and from hitting his head on the floor.

Nick heard the screaming, "Owen!" He went through the hole and ran into the hall to see someone leaning over his brother.

"Nick run!"

Owen was a bout to get up to run himself, but was grabbed by his shirt collar and brought to the variant's face. Instinctively, Owen latched onto his captor's wrists, trying to pry his hands off while also trying to wriggle out of his grasp.

He spoke in a raspy voice, but not one identical to what the boys heard from the vent, "You think you're safe waltzing these halls like you're strolling in the park!" The variant's breath smelt like he had never brushed his teeth.

It only made Owen struggle more, "Let go of me!"

"I will take no more orders! Obedience to doctors has caused nothing but pain! AH!"

While the variant had been talking, Nick had grabbed a lamp from a room and ran to the scene. He hit the variant in the head with it, causing the patient to drop Owen and clutch where the lamp had shattered against his skull.

Owen stood and moved away from the injured man as Nick stepped around them both, grabbing his brother's hand on the way. Owen barged through the last door, grateful that it was another large room with shelves and that there was an open vent over a counter.

"Go, go!" Owen lifted Nick onto the counter before hopping on it himself and practically throwing his brother into the vent.

"You will die!" He looked back to see that the variant had recovered and was holding a broken light bulb, the jagged glass looking very sharp.

Owen grabbed the edge of the vent as the man grabbed his ankle. Not going to let himself be taken so easily, he kicked the patient square in the face and he let him go for the second time. Afraid that the variant would grab his brother again, Nick pulled him up into the vent.

The variant held his broken nose, the blood spilling out of his nostrils and into his hand, "Fine! Go! But the Walrider will give you a much more unbearable death than I ever could!"

The boys refused to listen as they crawled through the vents. All they cared about was getting away from that guy and to the safe arms of their father.

* * *

Lisa drove up the mountain well over the speed limit. She couldn't believe Chuck's stupidity from driving her boys to an asylum, especially without her!

While she understood why the boys would want to go there, Lisa was disappointed in the fact that they did. She was already going through punishments in her mind.

However, she was also wondering if there was a possibility of her actually seeing her husband. Perhaps the boys had convinced a staff member to take them to him and then she herself would have to go to him to retrieve them. She had to remind herself that more than likely she was going to reach the asylum seeing that her boys were stopped at the front desk. She could see their nervous smiles upon seeing her now.

Suddenly, there was a loud popping noise and the car jerked a bit to the right before sinking to the left. The sound of tire hitting rock was now joined with metal on rock.

Lisa pulled the car to the side of the road, "Please don't tell me..." She put the car in park and hopped out. Her worst fears were realized when she saw the front left tire had a large hole in it. There was no way that she could drive on it.

"Well, that's just great!"

Thunder boomed in response and Lisa could feel a few raindrops.

She sighed as she hopped back in the car, "And I didn't even ask if it could get any worse yet."

Luckily, the asylum was in walking distance. All she had to do was go up there, explain her situation, and borrow a spare tire so she could bring Owen and Nick home.

She turned off the car, taking the keys and putting them in her pocket with her ID. She then reached for and opened the glove compartment to retrieve a flashlight. Turning it on, Lisa thanked her lucky stars for the fact that she had put in new batteries.

Lisa exited the car, slamming the door behind her. She then took out her keys to lock the doors before put them back in her pocket. To be sure they wouldn't fall out, she zipped it up.

"I better hurry if I want to beat the rain."

She began her hike up the road.

* * *

 **Sorry that it's shorter than normal. The next chapter will be super long I promise! :)**

 **Be sure to review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I made this chapter longer than the last one! :)**

 **Lily, indeed the boys must follow the #1 rule of horror, do not split up! Lisa will see the asylum for the first time in this chapter!**

 **Riceball231, funny you should say those last two sentences. ;)**

 **I don't own Outlast.**

* * *

Waylon held his breath as the green gas filled the hallway. In reality it was only a few seconds, but it seemed much longer to Waylon until the doors opened and the gas disappeared.

He never thought he could be so overjoyed at seeing the night sky as when he saw it then. There was no hesitation as he ran outside, not caring that the pavement was cold on his bare feet.

Quickly, he grew disappointed when he realized that he only made it to some stairs that led down into some courtyards. Reaching the bottom, he took a right and stepped through a gate.

"No! No! You were mine!" Waylon looked up to see the cannibal leaning out the second floor window. They made eye contact for a moment before Frank left.

A tear slid down his eye, thinking of how he almost lost the chance to see his family again at the hands of that cannibal. He missed Lisa and their children to the point that it was unbearable. He had seen Blaire's email to Ms. Grant about his visit to the house, the thought alone angering and worrying him. It was no surprise to him that his wife was trying to get him out. She was a very persistent person who would stop at nothing to do so.

Owen and Nick's bedtime was probably a long time ago, so they would be in their beds. They would be sleeping while Lisa planned on how she would get Waylon out of Mount Massive. Perhaps instead, the boys are up and being comforted by their mother. The image in his mind made him walk faster.

He had to get to them. He had to make sure that they were okay. Nick wanted him to attend his birthday, Owen wanted him to attend all of his baseball games, and Lisa deserved the best anniversary next summer. They were the only reason Waylon felt any need to try and escape. Otherwise, he would have stayed in one spot and waited for death.

Waylon didn't need them to be a part of this nightmare. That's why he had to get home and be safe. What he didn't know was that his family was much deeper in this nightmare than he thought.

* * *

Lisa finally made it to the gates, and was staring through the bars at the large asylum. She pointed her flashlight at the sign, just to make sure that this was the right place. She knew already that it was, but she didn't want to believe her family could be in a place like this.

She pushed open the gate before stepping inside. She jogged forward until she reached the military vehicles. The sight of them made her stop in surprise.

"What the...?!" A terrible feeling churned her stomach and caused her to run to the front door. She frantically knocked, "Hello?!"

That's when she heard laughing from the opposite side of the building her boys had previously entered. She ran to the laughter and found herself blocked from a courtyard by the gate.

She shined her flashlight through the bars, "Is anyone there?"

Again she heard laughing, the sound causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. A man in a patient's uniform stood in the light, cackling as he walked closer.

"I need to see an employee," she told him.

That only caused him to laugh harder before he started skipping in a circle chanting, "All dead! All dead! All dead!"

"Dead?" She wanted to dismiss this patient, but the churning of her stomach only grew worse, and it could explain why there were so many military vehicles.

The man skipped away, leaving a bewildered Lisa at the small gate. A moment later, he skipped back with something in his arms. Reaching the gate he held out his hands to show a head with blood dripping out of the neck.

Her eyes widened at the sight and her mouth hung open. The variant tossed the head in the air like a graduation cap before running away, laughing as he went. She couldn't help but flinch at the noise of the head hitting the ground.

There was no time to waste. As soon as she saw an broken window she climbed over the gate and ran toward it. Owen, Nick, and Waylon were all in that place, and she was going to get them out or die trying. She didn't even need to think about whether or not to get them.

She hopped in the window and entered the Hell on Earth.

* * *

The sweat on Nick's hands was making it harder to crawl in the vents, so him slipping forward and onto his stomach was inevitable. Owen was right behind him and nearly hit his head on the wall while trying to avoid a collision.

Nick sat up, "He didn't hurt you did he?"

Owen rubbed the back of his head, "My head hit the floor when he attacked me, but I'm okay. Thanks for saving me back there."

"You're welcome. That man wasn't nice."

He rolled his eyes at his brother's understatement before asking, "You're not hurt are you?"

Nick shook his head, "No. A piece of the vase lodged itself in my shoe when I stepped on it, but I think it fell out."

A familiar voice reached their ears, "Children!"

They jumped slightly, Owen knocking his head on top of the vent. They recognized it as the same voice as the guy from the vent.

Taking note where the sound came from, they crawled to the light and opened the gate of a vent. They found themselves in yet another hallway, but it was more trashed than the others they had seen. They were high up, closer to the ceiling than the floor.

Looking down they saw another patient with the numbers 0763 on his outfit. While skinny, he looked buffer than any of the patients the boys had already seen. What was very obvious was how almost his entire left side of his cranium was bulging and red. While his left eye seemed normal, his right eye was shut.

He spoke, "Oh good, I've found you!"

The brothers looked at each other, not quite trusting this stranger yet. They would stay in the vent.

Owen gently nudged Nick back while saying, "Who are you?"

"I'm Patient 0763."

"I mean your name."

The variant answered, "I don't remember."

Nick was shocked by this, "You don't have a name?"

"None that I can remember."

The boys were about to say more when they saw a giant black shadow floating at the end of the hallway and disappearing. The noise it made sounded as if someone was exhaling slowly in their ear. They clutched onto each other in fear.

The man told them, "Don't be scared Little Ones. Billy loves children."

Nick asked, "Who's Billy?"

"My friend. He's the host of the Walrider now."

"The Walrider?" asked Owen, "I thought I saw that word somewhere else."

"You probably have."

Nick was now obviously curious, "What's a Walrider?"

The variant seemed deep in thought, "How do I describe the Walrider? All of the patients believe that he is a sort of god. Only Billy, a patient who's name I forget, and I know that isn't true. Unfortunately, Billy is trapped and the other patient refuses to leave the sewers."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I don't know what the Walrider is made of, but I do know what he can do. Billy told me everything he knew before they could trap him in the basement."

"You said all of the patients think the Walrider is a god," said Owen, "Does that include our father?"

The man's eye widened in surprise, "I did not know any patients had children."

Owen explained, "He was recently an employee. Do you know a Waylon Park?"

Recognition flashed through his eyes, "Yes. Yes, I've seen him. Never talked to him, but I've seen him. Possibly the only employee with a conscience. You say he is a patient now? That is not surprising to me."

Nick got excited, "Do you know where he is?!"

"No, but if you are his children, the three of you should be reunited. Waylon Park was too kind to have something so precious as a child ripped away from him. I will help you."

Owen grasped onto Nick's shoulder, afraid that he would agree and jump out, "How can we trust you? The last patient we met tried to kill us."

"With Father Martin, you are invincible to nearly all. I will take you to him." When neither boy moved, he said, "Everyone but Chris Walker, Dr. Trager, and Eddie Gluskin obeys any order Father Martin gives. You will be safer with him as protection."

"How can we trust you?" Owen repeated.

"You are both wise to be hesitant, but now you have to trust someone. You won't survive alone here."

The boys looked at each other. No words were spoken, but they were able to make a decision. They really had no choice but to go with him. Not only would they become hopelessly lost in this asylum but they would have less of a chance of finding their father.

Nick swung his legs out of the vent before hopping out, Owen right behind him. Patient 0763 gave a surprisingly warm smile before pointing to one end of the hall.

"Last I heard, Father Martin was carrying his apostle to the male ward. We best hurry before he goes anywhere else."

The boys nodded in agreement and the three were on their way.

* * *

 **I've already got the next chapter all planned out! I'll have that one up as soon as possible!**

 **I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I decided to post this chapter a few days early. Hope no one minds! :)**

 **Lily, Park happy moments do sound nice! :) Don't worry, Patient 0763 is a good guy! I hope Lisa stays away from Eddie too... for his sake.**

 **Riceball231, as you'll see in this chapter, Lisa defeats her first contender. So far so good! The boys won't meet Father Martin in this chapter, but I'm planning on them meeting him in the next one. I wasn't really planning on giving Miles any backstory (I have no good ideas).**

 **I don't own Outlast!**

* * *

Patient 0763 was walking ahead of the two children, leading them to the male ward. They silently followed him, still not fully sure of what to make of the variant. Nick jogged up to the man so that they could walk side by side. He wanted to get a better sense of who he and his brother were with.

Nick told him, "You need a name."

The variant seemed surprised by that statement, "I do?"

"Yep. Patient 0763 is kind of a mouthful, and what if someone needs to get your attention fast?"

He seemed deep in thought, "I suppose there are times when you both will need to grab my attention right away."

Nick nodded, "What name do you want?"

"Hmm... I don't know. What do you recommend?"

"Any name will do. Except Owen and Nicholas because those are our names."

"Nick!" Owen growled.

He looked back at Owen, "What? If we're going to be with him, the least we can do is tell him our names."

The variant spoke after much thought, "Billy would always call me Pal. Will that do?"

"Sure," said Nick as he held out his hand to shake, "Pleased to meet you Pal!"

Pal accepted the hand, "Likewise Nicholas."

Owen butted in, "You keep mentioning a Billy. You said he's the host of this Walrider?"

The man nodded, "He is my best friend too. Even if I haven't seen him for such a long time."

Nick noted the sadness in his voice, "I'm sorry."

He smiled, "He was a good friend. I hope that I was a good enough friend in return. When he first became the host I took it upon myself to care for him."

Owen lifted his eyebrows, "He got sick?"

"At first he did. Billy complained of blurry vision, and I could tell by the way his eyes were unfocused. He was also hungry all the time, but couldn't keep any food down. There were times when he was so weak overall that he couldn't get out of bed. Those were the times when I'd sit beside him, trying to cool his fever and cure his headache. Luckily, his body became used to being the host and the symptoms stopped as soon as they started."

"Gosh," said Owen, "That sounds..."

"Awful," Nick finished.

"One could tell he was very miserable, but he was a trooper."

"What exactly does it mean to become the host?" Owen asked.

He answered, "The Walrider needs to live off of someone in order to live. The relationship with its host is parasitic at first. I'm sure you could tell that by my description of Billy's illness. However, it soon became mutual."

Nick clarified, "That means that they helped each other right?"

"Yes. One day Billy was having an episode and ran toward an armed guard. He scared the guard half to death and he shot Billy in the stomach."

Owen's eyes widened, "Holy cow!"

"He should've died," explained Pal, "but he didn't. As it turned out he gained some of the Walrider's abilities. That included immunity to bullets."

"Like Superman!" Nick exclaimed in excitement.

Pal chuckled, "Yes. He also got much stronger."

"Is that why they locked him up in the basement?" Owen asked.

"Partly. The main reason for that action was because of his ability to merge with the Walrider. They'd become one body and wreck havoc, killing a few guards and nearly escaping by flying out of here. They would have escaped if it weren't for a guard spraying that green gas on them. After that, Billy was locked in a bubble filled with a liquid that the Walrider couldn't penetrate. The Walrider was locked up too, but as you can see he escaped."

Owen nodded, remembering the large black cloud, "Why doesn't he just fly away then?"

Pal explained, "The Walrider can't go too far from its host. It can't leave the grounds of the asylum or it will die."

Nick asked, nervous, "It won't hurt us will it?"

"No. As I've told you, Billy loves children. Just as the Walrider has an effect on Billy, Billy has an effect on the Walrider. You may have noticed all of these corpses."

Owen rolled his eyes, "They're kind of hard to miss."

"Well Billy was furious with the world to say the least. He felt like he could take his anger out on everyone in this building. That is except for me and Dr. Wernicke. That's why the Walrider is killing everyone."

"Who's Dr. Wernicke?" asked Nick.

"That's enough questions for now. We're almost there."

Nick looked back at Owen, who only shrugged.

Owen was still hesitant to trust this man. If it weren't for the fact he saw the Walrider himself, he would never have believed Patient 0763's tale. In fact, he still had a hard time believing it.

In contrast, Nick found himself trusting this variant a lot. He was far nicer than the other variants they had met and trusted the brothers enough to tell them about Billy. Sure he could be acting, but Nick had the feeling that he wasn't.

* * *

Lisa opened a door leading to a dark hallway. Turning on her flashlight, she crept forward, trying to make as little noise as possible.

She hoped her family was safe, or at least as safe as they can be in a place like this. Her husband and children were everything to her. She wasn't going to even accept the option that they could already be dead. Lisa would find them if it killed her.

After taking another step Lisa heard a _squish_ under her foot. Pointing her flashlight at the ground, she saw that she had stepped in a puddle of blood. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

'You can burn the shoe later,' she thought, 'Just keep going!'

She continued her trek down the hall, opening doors and peeking into the offices as she went. Eventually she came to a door at the end of the hall. Unlike the other doors, it was made entirely of glass.

Lisa tried to open the door, only to see that it was locked, "Great."

Turning back wasn't an option, this had been the only possible path that she could take ever since she jumped in the window. The only option she had was to break the glass. There had to be something she could use to break it.

Lisa entered the nearest office and observed her options. She thought about using the computer monitor, but she wasn't sure if it was strong enough to break glass. After some thought, she decided that she wouldn't use it.

She smirked as she imagined Waylon sighing in relief, being the computer nerd that he is. Lisa was already terrible with computers, but having Waylon and his skill around made her look even worse.

Lisa missed Waylon trying not to chuckle when she got frustrated with their computer...

The next item she saw was a stapler. She picked it up and examined it in her hand. It was a red one made of metal. There was a possibility that it could work.

She went back into the hallway and after taking a few steps back, threw the stapler at the door. Lisa felt like she could cheer when the stapler broke through the glass, creating a hole. It wasn't very big, but it was large enough that she could fit her hand through and unlock the door.

After opening the door, she was careful not to step on any broken glass. However, the noise had caused unwanted attention.

A dark outline of a variant grabbed Lisa's arm and started to pull her toward him. Lisa immediately dropped her flashlight so that she had a free hand to fight back with. She put her hand on the person's chest, trying to push him away, but the variant had a painful death grip on her arm.

He began screaming so loud that it hurt Lisa's ears, "HOW DARE YOU WAKE ME! I WAS HAVING SUCH A WONDERFUL DREAM! BUT YOU HAD TO-"

He didn't get to finish. Seeing that trying to push away was doing nothing, Lisa had stomped with as much force as possible on the variant's bare foot. He stopped pulling, but refused to let go. That's when Lisa punched him right under the ear and he dropped unconscious.

"Go back to sleep then!"

Lisa picked up her flashlight so that she could clearly see who had attacked her. She was surprised to see how disfigured his face was and had to stifle a gasp. One eye seemed much higher than the other, he had a number of boils on his head, and his upper lip was gone.

Something told Lisa that Murkoff had done this to him. As angry as she was at him, she began to feel pity toward the patient. The condition he was in had to be very painful.

She tensed when she realized that the same people who did this to him now had Waylon and possibly her children.

She ran deeper into the asylum.

* * *

 **So how was it? Good? Bad? I'd love for you to tell me your thoughts in the reviews!**


	9. Chapter 9

**One of the ups of being sick in bed is that I have plenty of time to write. Luckily, whatever virus I caught seems to be going away.**

 **I'm glad to see that everyone likes Pal's name! :)**

 **Lily, Lisa is tough, but you're right that she can't fight all variants like Chris Walker! Also, if you want to imagine that Waylon is with Young-ja, you could probably do so in this chapter. She's not mentioned, but it never says that Waylon's alone! ;)**

 **Riceball231, Father Martin won't be calling them his apostles, but he does call them something else.**

* * *

Having finally entered a lit hallway, Lisa turned off her flashlight. She still moved cautiously, even more so after that variant jumped her.

All of her senses were on overdrive. She didn't know much about this place, but she had concluded that the building was a death trap not long after she entered the grounds. Any mistake could prove fatal, and not just for her, but her family. She had to be alert and focused if they were all going to make it out of this place alive and intact.

Lisa never thought that Murkoff was so corrupt as to build a place filled with such horror. Sure she knew they were corrupt, that's why she and Waylon were hesitant in accepting the job offer.

* * *

 _"Lisa," he had said, "I know what Murkoff is like, but if we're going to get out of debt I need to take this job."_

 _"I know Waylon. Just... be safe and don't take part in a project that will haunt your conscience," she had replied._

 _"Of course Lisa. Who knows? Maybe this branch of Murkoff isn't as corrupt as the others. Even if it is, perhaps I could help turn it around."_

* * *

Lisa shook her head at the memory. There was too much evil in this place for even Waylon to clear. Debt seemed like nothing compared to the situation the family was in now. Poor Waylon could be still stuck in his cell, wondering exactly what was going on in this building. Maybe he's out, but having to dodge all of the dangers that were deeper in the asylum.

And their boys. They both had to be scared out of their minds. She hoped they were together and had somehow found their father. She couldn't count on it. That's why she needs to get to them before anything bad happens.

She froze when she heard someone running toward her before hiding in a locker. The figure zoomed past the locker before tripping. He began cursing, and the voice sounded so familiar.

Lisa opened the locker door when she didn't hear anyone else, "Mr. Blaire?"

Blaire stopped cursing and looked up in surprise, "Mrs. Park?"

She stepped out of the locker, "Believe it or not, I'm glad I found you. Where is Waylon being held?"

He stood, "What are you even doing here?!"

"My sons decided to drop by without my permission. I came here to bring them back, but seeing the circumstances, I believe I need to take my husband too. Where is he?"

Blaire just crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and shook his head while chuckling. It was as if he saw a child say something cute, but there was a hint of something sinister.

His reaction caused Lisa to squint in suspicion, "What's so funny?"

He stopped and looked at her, "Park is probably dead by now. I left him in the security room for Chris Walker."

"Chris Walker?"

"I guarantee that he's in pieces where I left him."

Lisa felt ready to explode, "You're such a coward!"

"I didn't leave him there because I'm a coward Mrs. Park. I left him because no one can know about what's been happening in this building. That includes you and your sons."

"My sons?!" she asked, before exclaiming, "They're children!"

"Yes, but they're still old enough to talk and tell people what happened here."

Her hands clenched into a fist. She was thinking about punching this man, but stopped when she heard chains and grunting.

"There's Walker now. Come to rip your pretty head off of your shoulders. Goodbye Mrs. Park."

He ran in the direction Lisa had come from, closing the door. Lisa heard him lock it and knew there was no way she could go back. The grunting and sound of chains clinking together grew louder.

Could she hide in the locker or was that too obvious? He was close enough for him to hear the locker open and close. She tried the knob of another door and stepped inside the room as soon as it opened.

Carefully closing the door, she tried to look for somewhere to hide. There was a single lamp hanging from the ceiling that lit up the room. There was a boiler on the opposite wall from the door as well as a bookshelf in the corner. What caught her attention was that there was a locker right next to the door.

She decided that even if a locker was obvious, it was still the best choice. She opened the it and stepped inside. The door of the locker didn't squeak much, to her delight, but she was still afraid that this Chris Walker might have heard it.

'Please let this guy have bad hearing!'

Lisa focused on steadying her breathing as she heard Chris Walker get even closer. She clutched onto her flashlight, ready to fight back if necessary.

She jumped in surprise when she heard Walker slam himself against the door, but she luckily didn't make any noise as he continued to use himself as a battering ram. She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

'All you have to do is turn the handle! I didn't lock it!

Through the slots of the locker she saw the door fall into the room. She waited patiently for Walker to enter the room.

He didn't look anything like she expected. When he stepped into her line of sight she saw how tall and fat he was. Walker turned to the right, sniffing the air and revealing his mangled face to Lisa.

There was no way that she could fight this guy. He was too buff for punches or a hit with a flashlight to deter him. She just had to wait and hope that he'd leave the room without checking the locker.

Then she realized that wouldn't work. He actually might block her path to the direction she had to go. The security room was in that direction, and that's where Waylon was last seen. This man would block the whole hallway, leaving no opportunity for Lisa to run past him.

That's why when he turned away from the locker to inspect the bookshelf she booked it. He must have heard her exit the locker, because she heard him come after her. Adrenaline kicked in, making her run even faster without tiring.

"Little Pig!"

Lisa just kept running. There would be no taunting this guy. She had to focus on getting away.

She picked up the pace as soon as she saw a door that had been knocked down. Running through the doorway, she quickly saw the little security room. There was a broken radio, dented locker, and even blood.

But there was no Waylon.

Sighing in relief she continued to run through the other door. Lisa had to make several twists and turns, but she finally saw a barricade with a slot that she could squeeze through. She hopped over a table and managed to get through the narrow gap. She had been going so fast that she nearly ran into the wall.

Lisa heard Walker growl in annoyance and watched as he went back the way he came. It was about then that she realized her lungs were begging for air. She leaned against the wall she almost ran into to catch her breath.

Despite the fact that she was just running away from a psychopath that had the strength to rip her limb from limb, she smiled. She didn't see Waylon's remains anywhere, meaning that there was a possibility that he's alive. Owen and Nick still have their father and she still had her love.

Blaire hadn't mentioned seeing Owen or Nick, but she still held onto that glimmer of hope that Waylon had run into them while escaping Walker.

She began moving forward down the hallway. Not caring about whatever else would be thrown her way.

Not if it meant that she would find her children and husband safe and sound.

* * *

Waylon had just escaped Chris Walker for the second time. He was lucky that he had found a window that led to the roof of the shed.

As soon as he was in that shed, he remembered what was in his notebook.

* * *

 _Blaire was about to run from the security room, but suddenly stopped and unfolded a piece of paper that was in his pocket._

 _"Oh and Park," he held the piece of paper up so that the blank side was facing Waylon, "One of your little brats asked me to give this to you."_

 _The mention of his sons had cleared his mind from when he was hit. He watched as Blaire tore the paper in half and threw the two pieces on the ground. Waylon knew that there were more pressing matters that needed his attention, (like the fact that there was a killer variant about to break into the room) but he still took the time to pick up the pieces and put them in his notebook._

* * *

Finally, Waylon wasn't running from anything, the people he was with in the shed weren't dangerous, and the lighting was perfect to see whatever it was that either Owen or Nick had wanted him to see. Searching for supplies in the shed could wait.

Blocking out the rest of the world, he took out the two pieces of paper and inspected them. Being Nick's father for many years, Waylon had learned to read his handwriting and to understand whatever Nick had drawn. He was able to clearly make out his son's name written in the top left corner and was able to identify the stick figures as him and his family.

Looking at the picture made his hands shake. The way it had been torn had separated Waylon from the rest of his family, leaving him on the side with the T-Rex.

Quietly, he said to himself, "I'm separated from my family and left with a monster. It's a perfect metaphor for what's happening now."

He put the half with him under the half showing Lisa, Owen, and Nick. He refused to take his eyes away from the drawings that represented his wife and sons. The stick figures were smiling, making Waylon grin himself. The three were happy, just as they should be.

He brought the drawing half to his lips and gently kissed it, not minding the texture of crayon on his lips. The stick figures that he kissed weren't his family, but it was as close as he could get to them right now.

Waylon brought the picture to his chest and everyone could see the spark of determination in his eyes.

* * *

 **I meant to have the boys meet Father Martin in this chapter, but I couldn't fit it in. :(**

 **Hope you liked it! Please let me know what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yep, another chapter! This one solely focuses on Owen and Nick. We'll also see other familiar characters! ;)**

 **I'm happy to see that everyone likes the picture scene so far!**

 **Lily, I promise I won't tell Miles! XD I agree that Jeremy is a jerk if not worse! I'm glad you liked the picture!**

 **Riceball231, I'd imagine that Jeremy just forgot that he even had it. Seeing Waylon probably reminded him! Father Martin gives the boys a title, although it's not nearly as glorifying as 'Apostle' is. Waylon does need a friend! I'll be his friend!**

 **ErinHasse, I replied to your last review via PM, did you get it? I'd love for you to be a reoccurring reviewer! :) I'm glad you liked Waylon's scene. I knew I wanted a Blaire to run into either the boys or Lisa. I decided on Lisa because she's in the area and alone.**

* * *

As soon as the boys entered the room they ran to the railing and observed the floor below them. There were other variants that seemed equally as mangled as Pal was. Several doors were lined up around the room too, leading to white rooms.

Pal looked over the railing with the boys, "What do you think?"

Owen asked, "Why does it smell so bad?"

"There could be a number of reasons, but you'll get used to it. Come now, Father Martin is over there."

Nick and Owen followed Pal to the middle of the hall. There was a short man in a robe talking to another patient. As they got closer, they could make out some words they were exchanging.

"Now," said the short man, "the Apostle won't be up for another few hours. When that time comes, I expect you to unlock the door."

"Right," answered the variant.

Pal tapped the short man's shoulder, "Father Martin."

While the variant stared at the children in confusion, Father Martin turned to Pal, "How may I help you, My Son?"

Pal gestured to the boys, "I found these two wandering the halls. Another variant has already tried to kill them. I humbly ask that you order everyone to leave them be."

Father Martin finally noticed Owen and Nick, "Bless my soul! I never thought I would see little lambs again."

Owen felt Pal nudge his shoulder, "Tell him why you're here boys."

Nick looked up at Father Martin with pleading eyes, "We're looking for our daddy. He was an employee but became a patient. Have you seen him?"

At the mention of Waylon once being an employee the variant next to Father Martin scowled. Hatred was written all over his face and Owen was wondering if they should've kept that to themselves.

Father Martin shook his head, "I know not of any new patients."

"He just became a patient," Owen explained, "His name is Waylon Park. Do you know him?"

The variant's face softened at Waylon's name and he nodded with Father Martin.

The priest smiled, showing his yellow teeth, "I've heard much about him. All good things. It's a shame I never got to meet him. What a tragedy that he should become a patient!"

Nick smiled back, "So you'll help us?!"

Before Father Martin could answer there was a cry from a variant below, "WALKER!"

All five leaned over the railing to see panicking variants.

A giant man with a mutilated face and chains on his limbs suddenly came into view, "Little Pigs!"

Owen pulled Nick away from the railing, exclaiming, "Whoa!"

Father Martin yelled, "You all know what to do! Quickly, into this room!"

The brothers ran into the white, padded room that Father Martin had indicated. They were followed by Pal, Father Martin, and the other variant who shut the door behind him.

Pal asked, obviously worried, "He can't break down the door can he?"

"We're safe here," Father Martin assured.

Nick asked the adults, "Why did he call everyone Little Pigs? Does he think he's the Big Bad Wolf?"

Father Martin shook his head, "I don't believe so, but nobody knows why he says that."

Nick was too preoccupied with the situation to notice what Owen was looking at. Owen had noticed the red crosses and words written on the walls, but what really caught his attention was lying on the bed.

It was a man, but he obviously wasn't a variant. He wore a jacket over his white shirt and was wearing jeans and shoes. He also wasn't bald, but had thick black hair. The stranger was sleeping, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. The camera that was on his stomach was also rising and falling along with it.

"Who's this?" Owen asked.

The others turned to see what Owen was referring to. Nick seemed just as surprised as Owen was at there being a person who looked like this man.

Father Martin smiled, "That is my apostle. He is to spread the news when he returns to the outside world."

Owen didn't look away from the man, "What news?"

"Why the news of our Lord the Walrider! See that camera? I found it with him."

Nick looked at the camera, "Do you think he'd mind if I used it for a bit?"

"He needs it to complete his mission. Don't touch it."

Nick nodded, "I just thought that I'd leave him a message. Just in case we leave before he wakes up."

Owen raised an eyebrow, "A message?"

"Yeah. He's the only person here who is obviously not an employee or a patient. I think that jeep outside is his."

"Jeep?" suddenly, Owen remembered, "Oh right, the red one. Yeah, it probably is. So?"

"Someone needs to tell him that he left his car unlocked and his keys in the car," Nick explained.

Owen inspected the cuts and glass on the man's head, "I think that's the least of his worries."

Father Martin walked over to stand next to the man, "Indeed it is the least. He has a great mission that needs his undivided attention." He patted the sleeping man's cheek a few times, "A great mission indeed."

There was some pounding on the door that caused everyone conscious to look at its direction. They could see Chris Walker's face through the window as he tried to break down the door.

"Big Bad!" exclaimed Nick.

Pal and the other variant seemed to crouch down a little, in case they needed to fight. No fight came, for Walker gave up and tried the next room.

Owen smirked at Nick, "Big Bad?"

Nick nodded, "He's trying to find 'Little Pigs' like the Big Bad Wolf, he's huge, and he's mean."

Owen smiled and chuckled, grateful that he had something that he could laugh at since entering the asylum, "Can't argue with that."

Pal asked the children, "Do you recognize him from the picture I showed you?"

Nick nodded, "He was the fat one."

"That's one of the three people who doesn't listen to Father Martin," said Pal.

Father Martin held out his hand, "May I see the drawing?"

He took the note after Nick dug it out of his pocket, observing the three people. It seemed that he recognized them.

Father Martin nodded, "These are the three. Poor souls will never be seen favorably by the Walrider."

The door was opened by a variant with blood on his head, "He's gone."

"Good," said Father Martin, "I have an announcement to make."

They all stepped outside, the children giving one last look at the sleeping person. It seemed that all of the variants were already out of their cells. Father Martin went up to the railing, motioning the boys to stand next to him.

As soon as they did, he said in a booming voice, "Your attention!"

Everybody stopped what they were doing. All eyes were on their leader and the children.

"As you know, the Apostle is among us, but he is not the only one from outside. I have here two lambs that belong to the kind Waylon Park. They are in search of their shepherd. Until the lambs find their shepherd and return home, they are under my protection. No harm is to come upon them."

* * *

 **It's Miles! :D**

 **Like I said, 'Lamb' is not nearly as glorifying as 'Apostle.' ;)**

 **I'm planning on Nick and Owen addressing Chris as 'Big Bad' throughout the story. Is it good enough to do that or should they just stick with Chris Walker?**

 **I'd love to hear your opinions!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's a longer chapter for you guys! :D**

 **I'm happy to see that everyone likes the name Big Bad and Father Martin calling the boys lambs!**

 **Lily, you're welcome! :) You'll actually see an allusion to Milestones again in this chapter! ;)**

 **Riceball231, we'll get an update on Lisa in this chapter. Not sure you're going to like it though! And as for sleeping Miles, even though he is drugged, it's still pretty funny when you think about how he doesn't wake up! (Which is weird because I didn't plan for it to be funny.) :)**

 **ErinHasse, we must protect the children! :) I always imagined Waylon being the only employee who had any sense to treat the variants like humans. I want to add flashbacks of how he treated them if I can find the right spot!**

* * *

"Pal, do you have any twos?" asked Nick.

Pal nodded and gave Nick his playing card. He, the boys, and another variant sat in a square. One of the variants had provided a deck of cards while the boys waited for Father Martin's return. Every now and then they would glance at the doorway the self-proclaimed priest had exited.

Owen scanned his cards, "Nick, do you have a king?"

Nick shook his head, smiling, "Go fish."

As Owen grabbed another card he shifted his gaze to the exit again. He felt like they had been in this room forever, but Father Martin had said he had some things to prepare for his apostle. Owen hoped he was also telling people to look for his father.

According to Pal, news spread fast in the asylum, but you have to know the right people in order to hear it. There was a chance Waylon already knew that his sons were in the building with him. Then again, there was also the great chance that he doesn't.

"When's Father Martin coming back?" asked Nick.

The variant, Larry, shrugged, "Whenever everything's in place for the Apostle."

Owen sighed and leaned back so he was lying down, "I never thought time could go so slow."

Pal chuckled, "Patience. He'll be here soon."

Nick laughed too, "Mommy sometimes teases Owen about patience. She says he doesn't have any!"

Owen protested, "I have patience. Just not a lot."

Larry pointed at the doorway, "You don't have to wait any longer."

Everyone had their eyes on Father Martin and two other men as they entered. Neither child recognized the other two, but they seemed to be twins. They looked terrifying but weren't wearing any clothes, so they weren't sure whether to hide or laugh.

Father Martin waved the boys over, "Lambs!"

After looking at each other Nick and Owen got up and ran to be with Father Martin and the two strangers. Pal followed, seemingly cautious around the twins.

The priest smiled, "I bring news of the shepherd!"

* * *

Lisa wasn't chased by Chris Walker again. It was good on one hand that he wasn't a threat anymore, but on the other hand she wasn't chased out the window like Waylon. She was heading the same direction as him, but not on the same path.

She walked through the endless dark halls, needing her flashlight again. Every now and then she would see a male patient, despite the signs saying that it was a female ward. Lisa faintly remembered Waylon say that there were only males in the asylum, but it was coed years ago.

The further she got in the female ward, the less people she saw. She tried reasoning that it was simply because this was the female ward, and no men would come here. However, there was something in the pit of her stomach telling her that something was very wrong. It was as if the variants didn't want to be here, or like they were afraid of this section.

If it turned out that there was nothing dangerous here than Waylon would do everything he could to get to this area. She hoped then her boys would follow him to safety. If the bad feeling she had was right than it was still worth checking out. Her family could have stumbled upon this place and unknowingly put themselves in danger.

* * *

Not far away from her, Waylon began to panic as the rungs detached from the ladder. It sent him toppling down from a large height for the second time that day. His right foot crashed through the top of the elevator, causing him to scream. The smell of blood quickly filled his nose and the pain caused his vision to blur.

"Oh God! Tell me you're okay! I hate to think of you suffering without me!"

Waylon was almost convinced that Gluskin was genuinely concerned, but he knew that wasn't the case. He yanked his foot out of the elevator, almost gasping at the giant piece of wood in his heel.

"Why would you do something like this to yourself?!"

Waylon bit his lip as he mentally prepared himself to rip the wood out of his foot. He pulled out the bloody piece of wood, screaming.

He then answered Gluskin, "Stay away from me!"

The answer seemed to hurt the Groom, "You'd... you'd rather die than be with me?"

Waylon was smart enough not to say his answer so that Gluskin could hear, "I would."

Even though Eddie didn't hear his answer, his voice was filled with hatred, "Then die!"

* * *

The twins stepped apart, revealing another variant behind them.

Father Martin explained, "The twins found this poor soul. He is the last one to have seen him."

Nick beamed, "Really?!"

Owen too, grew excited, "Is he okay?!"

The variant was silent, but after much thought nodded his head.

"Where is he?!"

The variant gave a very unexpected answer.

 _"Above the knees below the navel, sliced and sewn on Gluskin's table."_

Owen squinted in confusion as Nick looked up at the other adults for an explanation. Pal's scared face made Nick worry as to what it meant.

Pal confirmed quietly, "He's with the Groom."

"Who?" Nick asked.

Father Martin explained, "Eddie Gluskin. He kidnaps men in order to make them his wife and start a family. Of course, they all keep dying. I'm afraid he'll never be able to achieve salvation."

The variant that had been smacking his head against the wall overheard this, exclaiming, "He's a lunatic!"

Owen froze at the guy's statement. This man had been knocking his head against the wall for the past hour, and he just called somebody a lunatic. And that lunatic had his father.

He frantically looked from one adult to the other, "We have to get him!"

Father Martin agreed, "Yes, but I am busy with the Apostle and the twins have their own duties. Who will fetch the shepherd?"

Pal raised his hand, "I will."

Nick smiled, "Good! We better get going!"

Pal shook his head, "There is no we, Nicholas. The Groom is too dangerous for you to be around."

Owen stood up straighter, "If our dad sees you, he won't know that you're there to rescue him. I bet there have already been people trying to kill him. If he sees that we're with you, you won't get hurt. If we aren't, Dad could unknowingly knock his rescuer unconscious and nothing good will come from that."

Father Martin nodded, "Very true, very true. I advise that you take the lambs to their shepherd."

Pal looked like he was going to protest, but he saw how serious Owen and Nick were, and he knew better than to argue with Father Martin, "Fine. Just stay close."

Nick suddenly remembered the sleeping man, "Father Martin, will you tell your apostle about his car?"

The priest put a hand on Nick's shoulder, "If I don't, I will have somebody else tell him. You best be going Lamb."

* * *

After much walking, Lisa found herself looking down a flight of stairs. It had been awhile since she had seen anyone, and she couldn't tell if that relieved her or made her nervous.

She began walking down, trying to make as little noise as possible. When she reached the bottom, her flashlight revealed rows and rows of sewing machines. As she weaved between the tables she couldn't help but notice how while some sewing machines had layers of dust on them, a few others looked recently used.

She eventually made it to a curtain and peeked around it. What she saw caused her to nearly drop her flashlight.

Somebody had mutilated bodies to represent a woman giving birth. Lisa, having given birth twice, couldn't help but feel offended at the mockery. She found herself also feeling sorry for whoever's body this was. Whoever made the representation had to be very twisted.

She froze when she heard a sweet yet terrifying voice, "You know Darling, a good wife is supposed to listen to her husband. I promise to be good to you if you are good to me."

This had to be the man who made the horrifying scene in front of her. She could tell that he was upstairs. Most people would run as far away as possible from the voice, but Lisa couldn't. This person was talking to someone, and that someone could be Waylon, Owen, or Nick.

What she didn't know was that Owen and Nick were still in the male ward and Waylon was already unconscious in the locker. Whoever this person was was chasing someone else.

"That hole in your heart. I can fill it with love and nourishment. Just give me a chance to be a wonderful husband to you and the father of our children."

Lisa scoffed at the voice before following it, "Keep dreaming Buster."

By the time she found the flight of stairs the talking turned into whistling. That actually made her feel better since the noise covered the sound of creaking stairs as she climbed.

As she turned off the flashlight, she heard singing.

 _"When I was a boy my mother said to me, "Get married son, and see how happy you will be."_

Lisa finished climbing and observed her surroundings. The hallway was dark, only being lit by the moonlight outside, but Lisa could navigate her way through the area without her flashlight. So she headed again toward the singing, more cautious than ever.

She eventually came across a large room of boxes and hid behind the largest stack. Standing on her toes to peek over her hiding spot, she saw a man with bloodshot eyes wearing a suit. He seemed to be searching for something, his eyes scanning the room. The moonlight glistened off of the weapon that he carried.

She went ahead and fully hid herself again. If this man was chasing her husband or children, she had to find them first. This guy wasn't going to hurt her family while she was around!

Lisa once again peeked over the boxes in an effort to see where the man had gone. She merely met with open space and more boxes. It seemed that he had moved on.

Sighing, she stared at the flashlight in her left hand, wondering if now would be a good time to use it. While it could attract him, it could also help her find the boys. If this 'Groom' was far enough away, she could probably use it.

Her thoughts were interrupted when something gripped her right wrist and yanked her arm behind her. For a moment, Lisa was sure that her arm would be dislocated. To be sure that didn't happen, she turned and saw the person who was pulling her toward him.

"Darling!"

* * *

 **I'm sorry I left it at such a cliffhanger! It just felt like the right place to stop!**

 **If you read Milestones, you may have recognized some of Eddie's lines and realized who he's chasing! ;) Not only do I love Miazaki-san's story so much, but she's been super kind and helpful! :D Congratulations on 50 chapters!**

 **Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I figured with the last chapter having such a cliffhanger, I should probably get this out ASAP!**

 **Lily, I'm glad you didn't drop your iPad! I'm glad that you like the reference too. There's not much of a fight between Lisa and Eddie in this chapter, but there will be more in the future! :)**

 **Riceball231, I'm glad you liked the scene with the boys and that you get to see what happens to Lisa in this chapter! You'll kind of see Waylon in the next chapter, but he's still out.**

 **I don't own Outlast!**

* * *

While Pal and Father Martin talked at the other side of the room, Nick and Owen sat on the steps. The twins were standing next to the stairs far enough back that the boys couldn't see below the waist. Owen wasn't sure if they did that on purpose for him and Nick, but he was thankful nevertheless.

Nick tapped the one with hair on the shoulder, "Can I ask a question?"

The twins glanced at each other before one answered, "Yes."

Owen had a feeling that he knew Nick's question. While the two did looked frightening, Father Martin seemed to trust them. Perhaps that was a good sign that his question won't get them killed.

"Why aren't you wearing any pants?"

The bald one answered, "Possibly because we haven't found any that fit us."

"Or possibly because we just don't want to."

The answers didn't seem to satisfy Nick, but he still said, "Oh."

Silence.

This time, Owen was the one to ask a question, "Do you know our dad?"

The one with hair shook his head, "No, but we saw him earlier today."

Nick suddenly couldn't sit still, "You did?! How is he?! Is he okay?!"

Even though Owen was just as happy to hear this, he managed to restrain himself from jumping for joy.

"A bit beat up, but alive," was their simple answer.

Pal returned, "We better hurry. Follow me."

The three walked upstairs and passed the gate before seeing a message written on the wall.

Owen was curious, but continued walking, "Follow the blood?"

Pal waited for the automatic doors to open, "That is for the Apostle. No need to worry about it." They stepped inside, "It won't harm you, but I suggest holding your breaths."

The boys had no idea what he was talking about, but decided to listen. Nick held his nose and the air he refused to let out caused him to puff his cheeks. Owen didn't have time to inhale, so he simply held his hands over his nose and mouth. Pal, who simply stopped breathing, found their reactions comical.

When the green gas filled the room, the children shut their eyes. The gas felt a bit cold against their skin, but they soon found that the room was hotter. Then as if nothing had happened, the gas dissipated and the door opened.

Hearing the doors open, they all started to breathe again. Nick released his nose and all of the air that he had been holding. In contrast, Owen took as much air as he possibly could, but both of their eyes had opened wider than they had thought possible.

Pal couldn't help but smile as they exited. They were both too happy to breathe and see their father again to be offended though.

Nick began bounding up the stairs, "Come on!"

Owen looked up at their guide, "How long will it be until we reach Gluskin?"

"Not long. I know a route that will take us their."

Nick was the first to reach the top of the stairs and was staring quizzically at the next message, "Down the drain?"

Pal and Owen joined him, Pal walking toward the hole in the floor, "Over here."

He hopped down and held his arms up so that he could catch them. Nick sat on the floor before pushing himself toward Pal. He caught him and later Owen when he literally jumped.

He then led them down a hallway and passed another one of those chambers with the gas (the children were happy they didn't have to go in that one). They entered a room, and the first thing the boys noticed was that one of the gated doors was blocked with another barricade. It made them question if this area was as safe as Pal thought.

Eventually, they made it to a door that wasn't blocked. It was also the door that their parents had gone through earlier when they were in the area. Pal went to turn the knob, but it never fully rotated.

"What the?" he continued to try and open it, but the door wouldn't budge.

Owen couldn't keep the concern out of his voice, "That's not the only way there, right?"

Pal sighed, giving up, "It was the fastest way, but not the only way."

Nick nodded, "Okay. Where do we go?"

"We need to go back through that hole in the ceiling. Then we'll take one of the gates up there."

Nick grabbed Owen's hand and began tugging him back the way they came, "Then lets go!"

* * *

Lisa's wrist already felt like it could snap with the way this stranger was holding it. He didn't seem to realize that though. He had a huge grin and his eyes, despite being as red as the marks on his face, seemed to hold endless amounts of happiness. Yet the way he looked at her, didn't make Lisa as ecstatic as he was.

"I'm so glad I found you!"

Immediately, Lisa tried to pull her wrist free, "Get away from me you-!"

Lisa stopped when the man held a knife up between them. She froze at how sharp it looked as well as how dangerously close to her it was. While it wasn't being held against her, she could see that it was in case she did anything.

"Why must you hide from me? Seeing you always brings a smile to my face, Darling."

She had to think of something fast. She had been taught that if anyone held her wrist like this a good place to hit would be their upper arm. However, if this man wasn't fazed enough to let her arm out of his death grip, he could get angry enough to use that knife. If Lisa was going to get away from this man, she had to do it the old fashioned way.

Lisa glared at him, "I am warning you to let me go!"

He didn't seem to notice how serious and upset she was, "I love you too much to do that."

She swung her leg back for momentum before kicking her target. He hadn't dropped the knife like she'd hoped, but he still used the hand that was holding her to clutch his groin. He doubled over, almost falling to his knees while he yelled.

Lisa took her opportunity and ran. She saw the doorway exiting the room and weaved through endless amounts of boxes to get to it.

"GET BACK HERE!"

She chanced a look behind her, and was surprised to see that the Groom was already up and hobbling over to her. How he was able to recover so fast, she didn't know.

"NOT A CHANCE!"

He growled and his hobbling turned into jogging. Lisa turned and ran down the hallway, not caring that she had no idea where she was going. Already she could hear his footsteps as he ran after her. In the hopes of losing him, she took a sharp turn into another hallway.

Seeing a door she tried to open it, but it was locked. There was nowhere to go but deeper into the hall. When Lisa looked back to see the Groom again, she didn't hesitate to do just that. Thankfully, it turned into another hallway instead of being a dead end.

There was only one door at the end, and she prayed that it wasn't locked. Waylon is the only person she loved, and she had no interest in becoming anyone else's 'darling.'

When she reached the door, the knob turned, but the door was stuck.

"No, no, no! Not now!" she pleaded.

"Darling."

Lisa whipped her head around, her hair hitting the door, to see that he had stopped running. The happy man was at the end of the hall, calmly walking towards her.

"Darling, you look lovely in low light. Have I ever told you that?"

Like Chris Walker had done earlier, she rammed herself against the door.

"I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you. Can you just see us happily married? Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Gluskin."

She rammed the door again, "I'm already married you psycho!"

He was already about halfway to her, "I wish we were already married too, Darling. In fact, I already consider myself your husband."

Lisa felt the door crack a bit, "My husband's name is Waylon! He is the person I love and I'm taking him and my children back home!

The declaration that came from her heart seemed to give her strength. With one final shove the door flew open and Lisa nearly fell forward. She continued running through the room before throwing herself through a crack that the Groom wouldn't be able to fit in.

The crack didn't lead anywhere. Lisa just found herself stuck inside of a wall, but far enough away that the Groom wouldn't reach her.

She heard said person run into the room, "Darling? Darling, where did you go? Come on out."

He must have not seen her jump in the wall, and Lisa wasn't about to give away her hiding spot.

"How else will we make this marriage work if you aren't submissive?"

Lisa couldn't help but scowl. For somebody who claims to be her husband, he certainly didn't know her very well. Submissive, wasn't even a possibility for her. Waylon and her marriage didn't require her to be, and Lisa couldn't think of a happier one.

She heard him curse and glass shatter. She couldn't help but flinch at the noise, but felt herself relax when she heard him leave the room. Hopefully, he wasn't going to chase Waylon, Owen, or Nick.

She couldn't help but worry about them. All three were in this horrible place with her. Lisa would've preferred to meet an excruciating death here than having any of them in this asylum.

Nick was just too innocent and gentle to be in a place like this. The poor thing has to be scared to death. Owen too was more innocent and gentle than he would want to appear. Even if he refused to show it, he had to be frightened as well. Lisa tried not to think of them surrounded by variants as they held each other in fear.

Waylon had to be here for two whole weeks, experiencing God knows what. While he was away, Lisa had been pitying herself and her children because he wasn't with them. Now she realized that Waylon had probably been going through so much more torment since he missed his family _and_ worked here.

Hopefully the three had found each other and were leaving the asylum, but Lisa wouldn't leave until she found them or knew for certain that they had left.

When she did find them all, she was going to collect them in the most bone crushing hug they ever experienced. She'd never let them go again. Waylon would shower her with kisses, Nick would leap into his mother's arms, and Owen would wrap his arms around her legs.

The thought alone made Lisa dare to leave the room.

* * *

 **I was originally going to have Lisa kick Eddie's shin or something similar to escape, but Phantom Trainer seemed pretty eager to have it this way! XD**

 **What did you guys think of this chapter?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Couldn't get Lisa in this chapter, but I got Waylon! We also get to meet the Walrider!**

 **Lily, Lisa definitely is a tough chick! Unfortunately I can't give away if she's about to find her family or not. :( Gluskin would be wise to leave the boys alone, what with their parents there!**

 **I don't own Outlast!**

* * *

Pal, Owen, and Nick were walking in silence through the corridors. Every so often Nick would stop and look at a new corpse or blood smeared on the walls. Owen himself would glance at these, and it amazed him how Pal simply kept walking, not intimidated from the gory sights.

Pal decided to break the silence, "You said earlier that someone drove you here, correct?"

Nick nodded, "Yep. His name's Chuck the Taxi Driver. He's our neighbor."

The patient stated, "He also sounds like he's an idiot."

There was a pause, until Owen spoke, "You know, for an asylum patient, you seem pretty sane."

"I remember wanting to go to a hospital for help, but then Murkoff offered to take me. After they did... things to me, I was convinced that they had no intention to help. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm sicker now than when I first got here. The trick to keeping whatever sanity I have left is to accept what is happening, but at the same time not to ignore it. Staying informed of what is happening in the asylum has helped me too. Billy helped me learn that."

Nick asked, "What is Billy like?"

Pal smiled, "He's a good friend. When I first met him, he was very meek, scared, and longed to be with his mother. I don't remember how, but we started talking. Soon, we practically knew everything about each other. He welcomed me, offered me friendship, and was there whenever I needed him. In return, I'd comfort him after his own nightmares and whenever he had his conflicted feelings about his mother. Those feelings caused him great stress."

Owen raised an eyebrow, "Conflicted feelings?"

"Billy loves his mother and misses her dearly, but at the same time he's angry that she hasn't rescued him from the asylum."

Owen suddenly recalled his research of the asylum. He had read about a William Hope, who's mother died trying to get him out of Mount Massive. Owen found it better not to reveal this information.

Nick said, "He does sound like a good friend. You sound like a good friend too Pal."

Pal smiled, "Thank you Nicholas. Do you have any friends outside of the asylum?"

The boy nodded, "There's Jake, George, Ryan, Luke, and James."

"And you Owen?"

Owen answered, "I know an Alex, an Evan, Clark, Joseph, but I'd have to say that my best friend is Tyler."

Nick added, "We told Mommy that we were going to his house before we got here."

"Well..." Owen admitted, "She probably knows by now that we're not at Tyler's."

"What do you think Mommy is doing?" asked Nick.

"With any luck she fell asleep before she knew we lied. Worst case scenario is that she's panicking because she has no idea where we are."

Pal sighed, "Poor woman."

"How long do you think we'll be in timeout or grounded?" asked Nick.

Owen replied, "Probably forever."

Before anyone could say anything else, Pal was lifted into the air and thrown upwards by a dark cloud. The boys stopped in their tracks while Pal, though shocked at first, started to laugh.

He fell back to the ground, saying as he stood, "It takes more than that to scare me Walrider."

The children watched in amazement as the black cloud shifted to form a shape more similar to that of a human. They could make out dark slits on the face as eyes and the whole body appeared to be muscular. The Walrider floated above them so that he was looking down at the three. He then cocked his head to the side as he inspected the unfamiliar children.

Pal decided introductions were necessary, "Walrider, this is Owen and Nicholas. Boys, this is the Walrider."

The children continued to look up at the creature, mouths agape. They didn't move a muscle until the Walrider flew down so that he was in front of them. It was then the boys founded their composure.

"Hi," was all that Owen said.

Nick was more cheery now that he knew this thing wasn't going to hurt him, "Hello! My name is Nick!"

Somehow, everyone could see that the Walrider was pleased to meet them. If anyone else was there, they would've been surprised that he wasn't tearing the people before him to shreds. But they were safe because Billy adored children and Pal was his best friend.

Pal asked, "Does Billy want me to release him yet?"

The Walrider shook his head in response.

"I understand. When he wishes to leave, just let me know and I'll get him out."

The Walrider simply gave a nod. All was silent for a moment as the Walrider turned back into a cloud of nanites. But instead of leaving, the cloud lifted the two boys up and flew them around the room. It was fast enough to be exciting, but slow enough not to be scary.

It was a surprise at first, but Nick quickly got over it and laid back to enjoy the ride. The cheers and laughter from him were soon joined by Owen raising his arms up and going "Woo!" Pal stood on the ground, watching with a smile on his face. He knew Billy well enough to know that the Walrider was enjoying this too.

The cloud again neared the ground and the boys hopped off. The Walrider formed into its humanoid shape from the torso up while the rest remained a cloud.

Nick reached up and patted the Walrider's head a few times, "Thank you!"

Owen smiled, "That was awesome, but we do need to get going. Dad needs us."

Again the Walrider cocked its head to the side, as if confused.

Pal explained, "The two boys are here because their father became a patient. He was a former employee here." At the Walrider's hiss he continued, "Not a doctor. He's a good man. These two wish for him to return home."

Nick smiled, "Will you help us?"

The Walrider did nothing. Pal knew it was because Waylon was somebody worthy of extermination in Billy's eyes and therefore the Walrider's. He hoped that the Walrider would spare Waylon for the children's sake.

Pal stared intently at the Walrider's face, "They need their father, just like Billy needs his mother." He could tell that this caught the Walrider's attention, "I don't want you to ki... harm him."

No response. The Walrider simply stayed where he was.

"Will you at least think about it?"

After a few moments, the Walrider gave a nod.

"Do you know what Waylon Park looks like?"

Again a nod.

"Thank you. If you decide to spare Mr. Park, I owe you and Billy greatly."

There was yelling in the distance and the Walrider turned its head to where the source had come from. Suddenly, he was back into killer mode and flew away to get his next victim. It always did amaze Pal how Billy's demeanor could change so quickly.

Owen stared at the retreating Walrider, "So... is he going to help us?"

Pal smiled warmly, "It'd be too much of me to ask him to take us to Mr. Park, but I think there's the possibility that your father will be safe from him. I can't make any promises. Billy can be unpredictable."

Nick continued forward, "Stopping to meet him seems worth it then, but now we have to hurry!"

* * *

 _Waylon opened his eyes and realized that he wasn't lying in his bed. It felt like he was on... sand?_

 _He sat up, and the crashing waves and flying seagulls confirmed that he was on a beach. It confused him. The last thing he remembered was the Groom and he's still wearing his uniform that was 'graciously' provided by Mount Massive. Waylon wasn't about to complain about being here though._

 _He stood and closed his eyes, relishing his surroundings. The sound of waves hitting the shore and the birds calling made him feel peaceful, as if he wasn't just captured by a man who wanted to make him his bride._

 _"Waylon," someone called softly._

 _He knew that voice. His eyes shot open and he saw Lisa wading in the water, wearing a long blue dress that flowed in the wind. The wind also gently blew her long hair so that it moved to the side. Her familiar smile, the smile that never failed to brighten his day, was there too. There was no question that she was a beautiful sight to behold._

 _Waylon ran over to her, water splashing as he sprinted through the waves. He picked her up by her waist and spun her around before gently setting her down again. Lisa then leaned up and connected their lips, her hands holding his cheeks._

 _It was a wonderful kiss, one that Waylon believed writers described in cheesy love poems. The waves and the seagulls that he had enjoyed earlier were simply background noise as all he could focus on was his wife._

 _Lisa broke the kiss and wrapped her arms around Waylon, holding him close. He hugged her back in return._

 _Waylon chuckled, "I feel so out of place. Here I am looking like a complete wreck while everything here is just so beautiful."_

 _She rested her head on his shoulder, "We miss you._ I _miss you."_

 _"I miss you all too. I promise that I'll do everything I can to get home so that we'll be together again."_

 _Lisa looked into his eyes, no longer smiling "Waylon, remember when we were reading Edgar Allan Poe stories at my grandfather's bookstore?"_

 _Waylon was confused, but answered, "Yes."_

 _"Remember my reaction to that one story where that man was left trapped and chained in that wall to die?"_

 _He nodded, "You told me that had to be the worst way to go. Why do you ask?"_

 _She stepped back, away from Waylon and out of his arms, "If it comes to the boys' safety as well as yours... that just might have to happen to me."_

 _"What?"_

 _Suddenly, Waylon heard deafening static. He closed his eyes and grabbed his hair at the noise, willing it to go away._

 _When the noise did go he opened his eyes to see that he was in the asylum's lobby. He wondered for a moment if he had woken up, but then he realized that if he was captured by Eddie, he probably wouldn't be in this room._

 _He jumped in surprise when he heard somebody rev a motorcycle. Looking down he saw that he was in fact sitting on a motorcycle, but he wasn't driving._

 _In front of him sat Owen and in front of Owen sat Nick holding the handlebars. Both of them were wearing sunglasses, but other than that they were wearing regular clothes._

 _Nick revved the engine again, "Come on Dad, we're busting you out of here!"_

 _"What?!"_

 _This time, Owen spoke, "Hang on!"_

 _Waylon nearly fell backwards as the motorcycle shot forward. It was going at such a high speed that they easily broke open the front doors open and flew over the steps leading up to it from the outside._

 _After that the dream stopped._

* * *

 **Thank goodness the Walrider loves children! Nick is also right that pausing their rescue mission to meet him is going to be worth it! :)**

 **I hoped you all liked the dream! I'm trying to show Waylon and Lisa's love for each other, but I've never been the best at romance! The boys rescuing Waylon on a motorcycle was inspired by something Miazaki-san wrote to me! :)**

 **We'll be seeing Lisa kick butt in the next chapter! :)**

 **What did you guys think of the Walrider? I know he's not acting the same here as in the games, but he still is a killer robotic ghost here.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I've dedicated this whole chapter to Lisa and her next meeting with Gluskin. I promised you that Lisa would kick butt! :)**

 **Everybody seems to be okay with the Walrider so far! He actually shows up again in this chapter... but not with the kids and Pal around.**

 **Lily, I got the idea because Miazaki-san actually had a dream where the boys make a motorcycle and drive away. She told it to me and I just had to use it! XD Don't worry, Lisa is going to get into some pretty bad situations, but she's a tough girl! The dream was to reflect her feelings about her want of Waylon and the kids to be safe, even if it means being left behind.**

 **Betweenthelines, thank you! So happy you think the characters are cute! :)**

 **Riceball231, don't worry I don't greet my friends that way, just my best friends! XD Just kidding! Yep, I was actually referencing one of his short stories (SPOILER: It's the _Cask of Amontillado._ ) Glad you liked the motorcycle bit and you'll see what happens as a result of being friends with the Walrider!**

* * *

Lisa lost track of how long she had wandered in this area. It felt like years to her, but it was probably only for about half an hour.

After Lisa had left her hiding spot she had heard something being knocked over, but she couldn't tell the exact area from where it came. She wondered if she should just leave the area. It didn't seem like Waylon, Owen, or Nick were anywhere in this part of the asylum, but Lisa decided it was best to search the rooms she had yet to be in.

As slowly as she could, she opened a door, wincing as it creaked. There was plenty of light shining from the outside to make out some items scattered on a wooden table. Stepping inside, she went over and inspected them.

They were mostly pieces of cloth as well as thread. The lone needle on the table was coated with blood on the sharp end. Except for the needle, all of these objects looked like things she would see at her grandmother's. As much as Lisa wanted to think somebody had accidentally pricked their finger, she knew that there was too much blood for that to be a good theory.

When she was done looking at the table a shelf caught her eye. It seemed like behind it would be a good hiding spot, so she checked to see if somebody was there, preferably a family member. She didn't see anyone and sighed. It seemed that none of them were here, which brought much joy to Lisa, but she still didn't know what other horrors they could've run into.

She managed to spot a rusty pipe on the shelf just before somebody wrapped their arms around her, trapping her own. Then she was pulled so that her back was now touching the person behind her.

As she struggled, Eddie calmly said, "I was on my way to get you a wedding dress, but since you're here I have to ask. Why did you run from me, Darling? Why must you act like all of the other sluts? You know it breaks my heart."

Lisa quickly realized that she wouldn't be able to get out of his death grip. Struggling had only caused his 'embrace' to become tighter to the point where Lisa had trouble breathing. She couldn't let this man take her away. If she's captured, Lisa didn't even want to think about what would happen. There had to be a way out of this. The flashlight in her pocket seemed like an ideal weapon at first, but then she realized that it wouldn't be strong enough. That pipe on the shelf would be perfect to knock his teeth out, but getting it was going to be a challenge.

She got an idea on how to grab the potential weapon, but she did not like it whatsoever. The thought alone made her feel so nauseous. Acting it out made the possibility of vomiting very high. It was going to be difficult, but she had to try.

Lisa stopped struggling and actually leaned back more against the Groom, putting on the best fake smile she could. Already Gluskin's grip had loosened. She turned her head to rest her cheek on his chest, sighing in relief but making it sound like a sigh of content.

She tried to sound as innocent as possible, "I'm sorry, Darling. You just surprised me is all. I didn't want you to see me yet, so I ran."

He released her with one arm and stroked her cheek with the back his hand, "Why would you not want me to see you?"

Lisa struggled to keep the smile on her face and not to gag as he continued to touch her cheek, "Because I was trying on wedding dresses."

Gently, he turned her so that she was facing him before releasing her, "Why Darling, that is the perfect time for me to see you! I'd love more than anything to see you in a dress!"

Lisa continued to smile as she felt for her weapon, "I would too, but don't you know?"

"Know what?"

Her smile grew wider when she found it and she discreetly hid her hand with the rusted pipe behind her back, "Why, that it's bad luck for the husband to see the bride in her wedding gown before she walks down the aisle."

He chuckled and held onto the hand that wasn't behind Lisa's back with both of his, "Oh how forgetful I am! I'm happy to see that you are putting effort into the marriage before we even say our vows."

She batted her eyelashes, "It's the most important thing in the world to me, Darling."

"I'm glad my feelings are returned." He pulled Lisa's hand up and kissed the back of her hand.

She shivered a bit from the kiss. Now not only would she have to wash the cheek he touched when she gets home, but her hand.

Lisa was still backed against the shelf, so she began to walk around Eddie. Her goal was to look as innocent and sheepish as possible while still hiding the pipe. It seemed to be working, for Gluskin didn't stop her from walking behind him. He simply turned around so he could still face her, smiling all the while.

He began to lean forward to kiss her and that's when she struck. Swinging the pipe, she hit the Groom right on one of the blisters on his face. Needless to say that it really hurt him, so Lisa took off.

As she ran out of the room, she refused to listen to anything that Gluskin was yelling at her. She just kept running and took her flashlight back out when it got too dark. The only time she dared to stop was when she spotted a jar of pearls. Thanking her luck that she was in the arts and crafts area, she knocked the open jar over. Lisa could hear numerous pearls hit the ground and it was followed by the relieving sound of the Groom tumbling.

She rammed a door open and saw that she made it to a large room lit by some lights. The problem was that the door that lead out of it was boarded up. Looking back, she saw that Gluskin had recovered from his fall and was nearly in the room.

Putting the flashlight away again, Lisa got ready to dodge. When he reached the room, Lisa ran around him before leaping on his back. She took the pipe and pressed it against his neck before hanging on for dear life.

Eddie began screaming as best he could with the pipe against his throat. His arms were waving in random directions, trying to get Lisa to get off of him. When that didn't work he tried to go for the pipe as well as her hands. Eventually, he settled for reaching up, grabbing Lisa's shoulder's, and throwing her forward. He found the sound of Lisa hitting the wooden floor in front of him satisfying and smiled.

Even though she was dizzy, she stood, getting ready to fight back when she realized that she had dropped the pipe. Lisa saw that it had rolled by the door that they had entered. Before she could run after it, Gluskin grabbed her hair.

"All I ask for is obedience and love!" he yelled as he yanked her hair so that she was pulled closer to him.

The yell she let out from the pain could be heard by anyone conscious in the area. Lisa instinctively shut her eyes as she reached up in an effort to pull her hair away. She managed to grab some of her hair and Gluskin's hand and began to struggle against his hold for the third time that day.

She decided that she was going to try another kick, but then she felt something cold on her throat. Her eyes opened wide as she tried not to move. Lisa knew it was a knife, and a very sharp one from the feel of it. She was afraid that any movement by her could break the skin.

"Don't play with my heart, Darling," he sighed, "I thought you were different. I truly did."

Lisa forced her mind to think of a way to escape once and for all. If it meant killing him, then so be it. She needed to be alive to help her family, and Gluskin was a danger to her life.

"When I first saw you, I thought to myself, 'This pretty thing had to be mine.' Now I see that it is simply not possible. Not like how you are. I'm so sorry."

Lisa felt the knife leave her throat and realized that he pulled his hand back so that he could drive the knife in her neck with more force. Well she just wasn't going to let that happen. She couldn't look down, but she could clearly see Gluskin's face and neck. That's why, with as much force as she could, she punched his throat.

As planned he let go of her and Lisa was able to go running back from the direction she came from. Luckily she had her flashlight, and could avoid stepping on any pearls. While running, she correctly assumed that she had lost him, but when she went to slow down she saw and heard something in front of her.

She didn't know it, but she was staring at the Walrider. She watched it observe somebody frozen in fear before he picked the now screaming patient up. Lisa shielded her eyes as gore and blood flew in her direction. Only a few drops of blood had gotten on her clothes because she was so far away, but not far away enough for the Walrider to not see her.

Without any hesitation she ran into a different hallway as he pursued her. Already, her body was running out of steam from the tough night, but she somehow managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Even so, Lisa knew she couldn't run for much longer. That's why she climbed into a vent the first chance she got, and watched the Walrider fly past her. Laying down in the vent for a moment, she began to catch her breath. Sweat was causing her hair to stick to her skin. If she wasn't searching for her husband and children, she probably would have taken a nap.

Once she had caught her breath enough, she hopped back into the hallway. The creature that she saw was long gone and in search of another person to explode.

Lisa asked herself out loud, "What was that?"

"The Walrider."

She spun around to see who had talked to her before being hit with some sort of metal object under her ear. Her ears rang as everything went dark. All that she saw before she passed out was a person's face with glasses and a surgeon mask.

* * *

 **I'm sorry! D:**

 **This ending really bummed me out when I wrote it. :( Please don't yell at me!**

 **We'll be catching up with the boys again in the next chapter! Did you guys like the fight?**


	15. Chapter 15

**So Lisa is still out, so we can't really see how she's doing yet. Luckily, we get to catch up with our favorite trio, Waylon, and the Walrider!**

 **Betweenthelines, sadly, you're absolutely correct about getting injuries. To say you're on the right track is an understatement!**

 **Lily, Lisa can certainly kick butt. We'll actually get to learn a bit of why she can in the next chapter!**

 **Riceball231, I'm glad you liked the fight scene! :D Yes, our not-so-nice doctor is in the house. Obviously not good for Lisa! :(**

* * *

 _Waylon couldn't feel, see, or hear anything. There was simply nothing, and it left Waylon alone to his thoughts._

 _Did he make the right choice by contacting that reporter? The goal was to keep his family safe and out of Murkoff's way while justice was brought to the company. He knew it would be difficult, but now that he's done it and can see the consequences..._

 _Murkoff had made him a patient and he had to go through unthinkable horrors. He hadn't expected that. He knew he'd eventually be caught and be in serious trouble, but not like this._

 _Waylon had also expected that if he didn't directly reveal Murkoff to the police than his family would be left alone. Was he correct in that assumption or had he still hurt them? There was no reason to do anything to them since Waylon was contained and his family knew nothing about what was happening here. That had to guarantee their safety. That's at least what Waylon kept telling himself. He, as a devoted husband and father, couldn't help but worry about them._

 _Perhaps all of his efforts were in vain. That reporter he contacted could either not have come or died here. His family had practically no chance of ever seeing Waylon alive again. He could die right now and they would never know what happened to him. What then? He would have accomplished nothing because no one could rat out Murkoff. Not to mention, his family needed him._

* * *

The longer they traveled down the corridor the more gory the sights became. It got to a point where major organs were in plain sight. While Pal was unfazed, Owen was tempted to cover Nick's eyes.

They made it to a hallway that had a door with wooden planks nailed over it. By it were giant glass windows lined up on the walls. They allowed the group to see into the room beyond the door.

Pal stopped in front of a boarded up door, kicking it, "We were supposed to go through here!"

Owen went up to the wood that was nailed in front of the door, tugging it to see how strong they were. Nick joined him, but the boards didn't even budge.

Owen groaned, "We can't turn back now! Is there anyway to get this door open?"

Pal looked at it thoughtfully, "Possibly, but it will take a long time. Just let me think for a moment."

Nick looked at a little sign that was pointing to their left and suddenly realized that he desperately needed a break. He didn't want to have any accidents.

"How long until we can get through?" he asked.

"Oh," Pal still seemed to be contemplating, "Maybe an hour or so."

Nick nodded his head, "Well in that case, I need to go."

"We can't go anywhere until this door opens."

"Not that kind of go."

Owen realized what his little brother meant, "You can't hold it?"

After Nick shook his head, Pal pointed down the hallway, "Bathroom's that way."

Nick took off running in the direction Pal pointed. Reaching the end of the corridor, he turned right.

Owen grabbed onto a board, put his feet so that they were on the door, and pulled with all of his might. Sure it wasn't the best plan, but maybe he could get some progress done while Pal thought of a faster way. Yet no matter how hard he pulled, all he managed to accomplish was to get splinters in his fingers.

Pal grabbed him, "It's no use."

Hesitantly, Owen let go and allowed Pal to set him on the ground, "Can't we get a crowbar or something?"

"Not in this area. We have some in emergency kits, but there aren't any in this area."

"Could we go back far enough to get one and get back?"

Pal just shrugged in response.

Meanwhile Nick exited the bathroom, thankful that the sinks worked. He was about to go back to his brother and friend when he heard chains moving. The familiar noise stopped him in his tracks. Slowly, he turned his head to see a giant figure walking towards him.

Nick ran away yelling, "Big Bad!"

Owen looked in the direction that his brother's voice came from, "Nick?"

The boy in question rounded the corner, "Run-run-run-run-run!"

Quickly, Owen and Pal saw why they had to. Right as Nick finished speaking, Chris Walker was himself rounding the corner.

"Nick!"

Pal frantically looked around before charging at one of the windows. As he planned, it shattered and he fell through. Owen was forced to shield his eyes with his arm as glass flew.

Pal stood, now on the other side, "Here boys!"

Owen stood in front of the hole that Pal had made. He would have jumped through but Nick was still running away from the giant. Pal was forced to grab Owen and throw him back into the room. Owen landed on the broken glass, but the bit of pain from pieces cutting his arms were ignored. All he could focus on was the fact that Nick was still being chased.

Pal held his arm through the broken window. As soon as Nick was close enough, he grabbed the boy by the shirt collar and yanked him into the room. A large shard of glass still attached to the wall had snagged and ripped a part of his pant leg.

The variant knew the glass wouldn't stop Walker, "Run!"

Owen stood and grabbed Nick's hand as he ran by. Tiny amounts of glass fell from him as the two ran. Pal was right behind them, glancing back to see if they were safe. While Chris was an idiot, he was strong enough to get in.

Sure enough, Chris barged through the glass as if it was paper, "Little Pigs!"

Pal decided he no longer needed to look back, "Keep running!"

"We don't plan on slowing down!" Owen called back. Pal had to agree with that, but it was difficult for him. Needless to say, smashing your body through glass really hurts.

The three took a sharp turn into another hallway. They could hear that Chris Walker was getting closer. That's why as soon as the three of them were out of Walker's sight, Pal grabbed the children and hid in another room. He didn't want them to call out in surprise from being yanked, so he covered their mouths with his hands.

They stood in the dark room, watching Chris Walker pass them. All three trembled from their tired muscles and fright. None of them breathed as they listened for Walker to come back.

Finally, Pal released the boys, "Are you two alright?"

Observing them, Pal noticed Nick's ripped pant leg and Owen's numerous scratches on his arms. He then noticed a scratch or two on the boys' cheeks. At first he was confused on how they got those, but then realized that he still had some glass on his hands. It must have scratched the children's faces when he covered their mouths.

Owen nodded, "Yeah. I just have some cuts from being thrown on glass."

Pal lead the boys back into the lit hallway and inspected Owen's arms, "Sorry about that. I wasn't thinking straight. None of these scratches look terrible. How about you Nicholas?"

Nick had been staring at Owen's arms until his name was called, "I'm okay. It's a good thing I went to the bathroom before, huh? For a fatty, Big Bad runs really fast."

Pal chuckled, "Yes. We seemed to have lost him. We need to go a bit back, before we can continue. Not only did we go the wrong way after breaking through the windows, but we certainly don't want to follow Walker."

The three began walking again. Nick tried not to look at Owen's arms, but he was failing. While none of the cuts were deep, there were a lot of them. It had to have hurt.

Nick got an idea to somewhat cheer him up, "Owen," he smiled, "Where do cows get popcorn?"

Owen looked down at his brother, "Are you trying to tell me a joke?"

"Yes, now answer me."

"Fine. I don't know, where?"

"The moovies!"

Owen began laughing, more at how corny the joke was than the punchline, "Wow!"

Nick barely caught the sarcasm in his brother's voice, "Okay then. You tell me a better one."

"Okay," Owen thought for a moment, "What did one ocean say to the other?"

The younger brother began thinking, "Um... What?"

"Nothing. It just waved."

Just as Owen expected, Nick giggled like crazy, but then he fired back with another joke, "Why doesn't Dracula have any friends? Because he's a pain in the neck!"

They traded jokes like that for twenty minutes. It never fully took their minds off of the situation, but it helped lift the kids' spirits. Every so often they would catch Pal smirking at the jokes too.

Suddenly, Pal joined as they entered a hallway with a rotting wood floor, "What does a buffalo say when his boy leaves?"

Owen smirked, "This should be good."

"What?" Nick asked.

Before Pal could answer, there was a loud creaking noise that made everybody stand still. Even so, the noise continued to sound right under their feet. Already the hallway was dark and it was cold enough for the boys to see their breaths. The noise certainly wasn't helping them calm down. The boys' breathing quickened and was shaken.

The wooden planks under Pal snapped, sending him tumbling to another room below.

"No!" the boys had cried as they ran to the new hole in the floor.

Pal slowly pulled himself up. His groaning had revealed to the boys that he was in great pain. The drop was long enough to make a healthy person's ankles hurt when landing on their feet. Pal was muscular, but malnourished and hurt from jumping through glass.

Owen called down, "Should we jump?"

Pal shook his head, "No. There should be another door where you are. Go through it and head down the hallway. There are stairs close to Gluskin's domain. I'll meet you there!"

With that Pal began to hobble off. In order to not break through the floor, Owen and Nick carefully backed away from the hole and into another corridor.

* * *

The Walrider, had recently thrown someone out a window, leaving him a bit satisfied. However, the Walrider wouldn't be content until everyone in the asylum, with a few exceptions, was dead.

The cloud floated into a room when he heard a soft snore. It stopped and turned into a more human-like shape. At first their seemed to be nothing in the room with him except for a table with a saw. It wasn't until the person snored again when he realized that the noise was coming from a locker.

Eager to kill another person, the Walrider floated to the locker and peeked inside. He was more than ready to open that door and slaughter the man, but suddenly stopped.

He could make out the figure of Waylon Park inside. While Billy, and therefore the Walrider, didn't have any sympathy for Waylon, he stopped himself from opening the door. This man was those kids' father. They were risking their short lives to look for him, and they probably didn't want to find his body parts splattered on the walls. The Walrider knew how much a parent means to a person. No matter how much Billy hated his mother, he still loved her and had hoped that she would rescue him from this place.

Unlike Billy, these boys had no traces of hatred or even dislike for their father. Waylon's death would crush them and if this place hadn't stolen their childhood innocence already, seeing their own father's mutilated body would.

The Walrider couldn't do that... for now. That's why he flew away before he changed his mind.

* * *

 **Wow, even giving the kids minor scratches was hard to write! Sadly, a person can't enter the asylum without getting some sort of injury. :(**

 **We're catching up with Lisa in the next chapter. Just to warn you all, you will hate me after reading it.**


	16. Chapter 16

**I've been putting this off long enough. Stay strong Lisa!**

 **Riceball231, yay for cute jokes! :D Pal's okay, just a bit roughed up. As for Lisa... well... you'll see. :/**

 **I don't own Outlast.**

* * *

When Lisa first woke up, the first thing that she was aware of was that she was sitting instead of lying down. It lead to the conclusion that she probably fell asleep at the kitchen table or in a recliner. The next thing that she noticed was the searing pain in her arms, legs, and head. When she opened her eyes to see why, she was only met with darkness.

The memories from the asylum came rushing back and Lisa struggled to stand. However, something was keeping her arms strapped down. Whatever it was restraining her felt very warm compared to the cold air surrounding her. Quickly, it became apparent that struggling like she was would only cause more pain. She had to think of something else.

Lisa squinted, trying her best to see her surroundings. Her eyes might as well have been closed for all she could see was darkness. Listening proved a bit more effective. From what she could hear there was no one else in the room with her and there were pipes behind the walls. That was it.

A door creaked, and Lisa immediately pretended to be asleep. If the person still thought she was still out, the less likely that he would hurt her. She heard a switch and then light seeped through her closed eyelids, causing her to see orange. Lisa hoped the person didn't notice her eyes shut a bit tighter when the light turned on.

The person began to speak, "Hmm... guess I hit you harder than I thought."

It was the man who had knocked her out, Lisa was sure of it. From the sound of things he still thought that she was unconscious.

"Oh well. Might as well set everything up."

Lisa stayed as still as possible as the man hummed. He sounded so gleeful, but that only made him creepier to Lisa. His humming was joined by the sound of running water, and it stayed that way for too long for the mystery person to be washing his hands. When the humming stopped and the water turned off, it was followed by the sound of a grunt. It was as if the man was lifting something heavy. But what?

She soon got her answer. The sudden chill from cold water being poured on her made her jump as far as her restraints would let her. Her eyes shot open, but quickly began blinking the water out of her lashes. She was soaked to the bone, shivering, and her cover was completely blown.

Once she could keep her eyes open without water falling into them, Lisa looked down at herself. Her jacket was gone. Brown, leather straps were placed tightly on her wrists, forearms, ankles, and calves. They were obviously to keep her bound to the chair, but it confused her as to why there were a bunch of cords sticking out from the restraints before leading behind her chair and out of sight. She felt another strap wrapped around her head, which she assumed also had cords.

"Oh good, you're awake!" exclaimed the man. Lisa looked up to see a doctor who was bald on the top of his head, had a ruined surgeon mask, and wore glasses. "Sleep well?"

Lisa pulled her arms against the restraints, only to see a bit of blood appear from under them, "Ow!"

"Is that a no? I'm so sorry to hear that," he pulled up a stool and sat, "You know, when I heard that there were women and children running around this asylum, I couldn't believe my ears. Now that I've seen you though, I guess I can at least believe the women part."

She leaned forward, "Children? There are children?"

He rolled his eyes, "Wow, you really are a terrible mother. Yes there are children here, and they're your children."

Lisa completely forgot that she was tied down to a wooden chair, soaked, and at the mercy of the man in front of her, "Where?!"

He shrugged, "Last I heard they were heading to get Daddy-O. You were _so_ close to finding your husband!" He snapped his fingers, "So close! A couple of rooms over and you could have grabbed him from that locker and reached the kiddies before they got into the vocational block!"

His smile grew as Lisa's heart sank. She slumped and broke eye contact as the news sunk in. If she had been a little faster, just a _little_ faster, she could've found Waylon before this lunatic found her. Now he was possibly found by Eddie Gluskin and the boys' whereabouts were still a mystery.

"Impressive how you got away from the Walrider, then again you probably reminded him of Mrs. Hope and were safe. Now the Groom, oh-ho, the Groom. Now _that_ was amazing how you got away from him! It's a good thing I found you! Otherwise, who knows what Gluskin could've done!"

Lisa growled, "I'm beginning to wonder if I'm better off with him."

"Maybe," was all he said, "He's famous around here for chopping off men's whoppers to make them brides. Not really sure what he would've done with women. Speaking of women, I hear you're not the only one here. That true?"

"He does what?!"

The doctor sighed, "Can't we just move on from the Groom? There's nothing you can do about it anyway."

Lisa wanted to disagree and demand to know more about her husband, kids, and Gluskin, but the man made it very clear that he wasn't going to say anything more. She wasn't sure she even wanted to know more about Gluskin anyway.

"No," she shook her head, "It's just me."

"See? That wasn't so hard! You sure?"

"Positive."

He stood up and put the stool away, "Could've sworn it was _women_."

It was about then that Lisa realized something, "Wait, how do you know who my husband is?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he pretended to scold, "We were having such a lovely conversation, Mrs. Park. Why do you have to go and change the subject?"

"Just answer the question!" she replied bitterly.

The doctor put his hands up as if surrendering, "Alright, alright. I saw your ID in your jacket. Happy?"

"Overall, no, but I'm happy that you answered my question," she put on the most fake, sweet smile that she could, "See? That wasn't so hard!"

While she knew being snippy was probably not the best idea in this situation, it was really all Lisa had to fight back. Expecting a slap to the face, Lisa was shocked when he began laughing.

"I like you. Seems kind of weird that someone as quiet as Waylon Park would marry a gal like you. How did you two even start dating?!"

Lisa just glared at him, and this time, really did get a slap in the face. The blow was powerful enough to whip her head to the side.

The man then used his hand to grab her face and move it so she was looking at him, "You're really bad at answering questions."

"Screw you!" The words were hoarse but full of hatred.

He pretended to look offended, "Aw, why?"

"For one, nobody else would, so you might as well screw yourself. And also, I've known you for less than 10 minutes and already I can tell that you're the most sinister thing in this asylum!"

He released her face, "Well then, I, Dr. Trager, gratefully accept the award as most sinister." Trager leaned in so close that Lisa could feel his breath on her face, "Do you want to hear just how sinister I am?" He took his index finger and gently slid it under her chin, the long nail scratching her.

She jerked her head away, "Not really."

"I'll tell you anyway," he dropped his hand, "When I first saw you I immediately wanted to do what I do to everyone. That is to cut something off. You have very slender and beautiful hands that are just dying to be chopped off by a cleaver. Then I saw your eyes. Not a lot of brunettes have blue eyes you know. They're stunning as well as begging to be plucked out!"

Lisa was visibly disturbed, "You're disgusting!"

"I thought I was sinister?"

She gave him the angriest look that she could muster, "Any negative word can describe you."

"I don't know about that. Being tardy is pretty bad, but I've never been late to work in my life," was all Trager said.

"So then what stopped you?" asked Lisa.

He exclaimed, "I'm glad you asked!" Trager noticed that Lisa was already drying off and went to get more water, "I just so happened to look in your pockets and saw your ID."

"Okay. So?"

Trager took the new bucket filled with water and poured it on her, "That's when I noticed that you're the wife of the infamous Waylon Park!"

Lisa spit water away from her lips as she shivered, "I'm-I'm not... following."

"Do you know why your husband is a patient Mrs. Park?"

She waited until she stopped shivering to answer, "I was never told the truth as to why."

"You may have noticed that we do things here that are a _tiny_ bit illegal. Things that are like me, sinister and disgusting. Your husband, bless his soul, had too big of a conscience to take part in our little activities for long."

"I'm not surprised."

He continued, "Your husband, Mr. Waylon Park, blew the whistle! Can you believe it?! He sent an email to some chump about our little experiments! The idiot thought he could get a reporter to reveal us to the authorities without us knowing!"

Lisa smiled. That was just like the Waylon she knew. Her husband couldn't hurt so much as a fly. She felt her heart swell with pride from her husband's conscience.

At her smile, Trager continued, "Don't get too happy, because that's why we locked him up. You see Mrs. Park, somebody did arrive earlier, most likely because of your hubby's email, but considering how unfamiliar the building is to the poor guy, he's as good as dead. Your husband, while wimpy, knows the place and the nature of these patients. There's a possibility that he could get out. Then he might go and rat us out to the police. We can't let that happen can we?"

"Maybe you can't, but I don't mind if cops come barging through that door."

He chuckled, "Odd that you would say that because you're going to help me make sure that doesn't happen."

"For some reason, I highly doubt that."

"Oh but you are." He moved one of her stray hairs behind her ear, "Whether you want to or not."

Lisa had just about enough. Trager just barely missed having his fingers bitten. She was sort of glad she missed his filthy hand anyway.

"Your hubby loves you and your sons to pieces. Anyone can see that. It would be such a shame if anything were to happen to his delicate wife. Mr. Park would much rather stay quiet and away from police than having his bride hurt. You see? You're my leverage. Now we want to show Mr. Park that I can hurt you, but doing something too drastic like cutting off a limb just defeats the purpose."

She didn't believe her own words as she said them, "Waylon would still tell the police." At his raised eyebrow, she explained, "He knows that I would much rather die and have the company destroyed."

"Yes, but is that what he would prefer?"

Her silence was his answer.

"Luckily, I have found the perfect solution on demonstrating how serious I am as well as not hurt you _too_ much."

As Trager walked behind her and out of sight, Lisa began putting the pieces together. The only clues she seemed to have were the numerous cords as well as the water? Why was she poured with water anyway?

It suddenly hit her. _A conductor._

Trager's voice boomed from behind her, "Welcome to electroshock therapy! Side effects may include memory loss, confusion, head pain, nausea, heart problems, aching muscles, and thanks to the little... upgrades I made to this baby, death. Are you ready Mrs. Park?"

Lisa didn't have time to answer before the pain hit.

* * *

 **I'm sorry! D:**

 **We'll be catching up with the boys in the next chapter and if I have room, Lisa. Whenever we do catch up with her though, she won't be in any better situation.**


	17. Chapter 17

**So school started again, and I have limited time for writing stories again. :( Already I've been super busy!**

 **Lily, Milestones' ending killed me too! Sadly, I can't say what the ending is due to spoilers. We'll see Lisa again in the next chapter!**

 **Riceball231, it's a vicious cycle! Looks like all of the characters are in trouble and we won't be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel in this chapter. :(**

 **I don't own Outlast!**

* * *

"Do you think Pal's okay, Owen?"

Owen looked down at the little boy who was clinging onto his shirt, "Of course he is. If he can live in a place like this, than I'm sure a little fall won't kill him."

Nick nodded, "That's good. I don't want him to be hurt. I hope Daddy's okay too."

"Same here," replied Owen.

Somewhere nearby, a scream erupted and Owen pulled Nick into the closest room. The scream didn't sound familiar or friendly and Owen wasn't going to let anyone so much as lay a finger on Nick. They were in a security room, so Nick was able to correctly guess the correct button to lock the door.

Heart racing and tired, Owen slumped against the metal door. Nick took the time to observe the various computer monitors and cabinets. All of the monitors were in black and white, but no color was needed to illustrate the horrors taking place on them. Nick actually found himself a bit surprised that the dead bodies and organs displayed on the computers didn't bother him like they did when he first entered the asylum. Perhaps he was starting to get desensitized to all of the gore.

He turned his attention to the various cabinets. Nick felt compelled to open the drawers and look inside the files. Perhaps it was because the secrets they held were like a forbidden fruit or he wanted more clues as to what this place was. Either way, he opened a drawer and saw that it was filled with blue folders. Nick took the newest one that was labeled as 'Confidential' and opened it.

 _Patient 2536_

 _Date Admitted: September 17, 2013_

 _Patient 2536, otherwise known as Waylon Park, was formerly known as Employee 1466 under Consulting Contract 8208. Park has been admitted due to unforeseen medical conditions. This became apparent when an email had been sent to who we believe to be a Miles Upshur (affiliation with the patient unknown) stating that the Murkoff Corporation has been taking part in illegal experiments. While a red 1987 Jeep Wrangler YJ has been spotted near the base of the mountain, it appears that the recipient of the email has no intention to act upon the false information bestowed upon him._

 _As he is a danger to the company, Mr. Park will be a permanent resident at Mount Massive Asylum. His release would guarantee him telling authorities that Murkoff is doing illegal experiments. Like David Annapurna (former Orderly 531920 who died three years ago) he should be kept here until death. Only then can he leave._

 _Park has a wife and two children. No action is to be taken against the family at this time but the wife-Lisa Park-is to be watched closely._

"Owen!" Nick yelled. He ignored his brother's attempts to shush him, "Look at this!"

Owen walked by and skimmed the document that Nick presented to him. Nick held his breath as he read the paper over and over. Each time he read it the more he understood the situation.

"We were right," said Nick, "Daddy's not insane."

Owen put the paper back in the blue folder, obviously angry, "Blaire and the other Murkoff jerks had him admitted to save their own butts!"

"Mr. Blaire lied!"

"Can't say I'm surprised by that." As Nick began looking through more folders, Owen continued, "This can really help us. Now we know that the uniform Dad's wearing has the numbers 2536 on it. Not to mention that this should keep Dad from going to another hospital. What are you doing Nick?"

The youngest opened a new drawer, "I'm looking for Pal's file. I think I'm getting closer to it. Give me a minute."

Owen sighed, "Hurry up. We need to get going."

"Found it! Patient 0763!" Nick began reading.

 _Patient 0763_

 _Date Admitted: June 08, 2011_

 _Osmond Wallach is here due to auditory hallucinations and depression due to his wife and unborn child being killed in an automobile accident. Patient 0763 had gone to a Denver hospital to seek help, but was turned away due to limited beds. It was then that Murkoff offered to help and admitted Wallach into Mount Massive._

 _Upon his arrival he became friends with William Hope, who has been chosen to be the Walrider's host. Their friendship is one that had not been seen prior in the asylum's history. That is one reason why Hope was chosen to be the host, to see how the Walrider would behave toward Wallach vs. an acquaintance. It appears there in fact is a difference. While Wallach is treated kindly by the Walrider the rest of the patients have been greatly injured or killed due to the project._

 _Ever since Hope was taken to the basement, Wallach had been more distant, oddly less aggressive, and the hallucinations had become more frequent._

"Pal had hallucinations?" asked Nick.

Owen shrugged, "That part could be a lie. We'll have to ask Pal when we see him again. Lets fold these papers and put them in your pocket."

* * *

Gluskin decided to silence the screams of his bride by choking him. That along with the excessive bleeding from the groin caused him to die rather quickly.

"No. I'm so sorry Darling, but love isn't for everybody." After a moment just staring at the body, Gluskin pushed the man off of his operating table. Unknown to him his bride's screams were heard by two young boys and their father, the latter now slipping back into unconsciousness.

The variant tied down on a nearby table seemed like he was tired, but ready for his transformation. Eddie walked over to him and undid his hands so that the man could be moved to the table he witnessed another person die on. He was set on the table, seemingly unnerved by the fact that he was lying in the blood of a man recently murdered. It was until he saw Gluskin grab a machete that something inside him woke up.

The variant rolled off the table, landing on his stomach, before bolting away. The sound of Gluskin screaming behind him made him go faster.

* * *

Owen and Nick were unable to hear Gluskin scream from inside the security room, so they deemed it safe enough to go back into the halls. With each step they cringed at the wood creaking under their weight. There was something about this place that really bothered them. Perhaps it was because it was too quiet and dark for their liking. Or maybe they just preferred it when Pal was with them.

They froze when they heard someone running toward them. They stared in the direction the noise was coming from, Owen standing protectively in front of Nick. It could've been Pal, but if there was a chance that wasn't him Owen would be on guard.

An unfamiliar variant appeared in the light. He was running toward them, but the children found that they couldn't make themselves move away. Even when the man stopped running, a machete having stabbed through his gut, they didn't move. Nick opened his mouth to scream but nothing even came out.

The man slid off of the machete and crumpled to the floor. This revealed the Groom behind him. Eddie, not yet noticing Owen and Nick, took the weapon and brought it down upon the unlucky variant so that it went straight through the man's heart. He brought it up again and the machete entered the back of the man's skull and exited the forehead. The next blow went through a lung, then a kidney, and then Eddie kicked the dead man on his back before slicing the stomach open.

The boys wanted to run more than anything, but fear had frozen them where they stood. Nick watched as the dead man's intestines fell out onto the rotting floorboards while Owen focused on the machete that killed him. But both of their eyes eventually locked onto the ones of the obviously psychotic murderer.

* * *

 **Run! Don't just stand there, run!**

 **Please review! They really help keep me going! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Time to catch up with Lisa! There are three flashbacks in this chapter. They're when Lisa meets Waylon, she goes into labor with Owen, and when the parents introduce the boys to each other for the first time. Hope you enjoy! :D**

 **ErinHasse, indeed it will take much therapy! We'll see what happens to them in the next chapter!**

 **SavannahHam217, oh my gosh thank you! :D I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!**

 **Lily, I hope so too! We'll see Lisa in this chapter!**

 **Riceball231, Waylon is close to getting up! And I will go ahead and reveal that Eddie will see them as the possible children of his bride.**

* * *

 _While her grandfather was at the cash register, Lisa stacked the new books on the shelves. This hadn't been her plan on how she'd spend her first year after school, but her grandpa needed her._

 _The bookstore was going through a difficult time, making it necessary that her grandfather gets more volunteers. Lisa had wanted to continue onto college, but she found herself offering to help. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't jealous of her classmates that got to go to the big universities. Heck, her high school enemy got into Lisa's first choice college and she was dumber than a stack of hammers!_

 _Lisa's mother had been suffering through an internal battle. While she wanted her daughter to go to college, she was also glad that Lisa was able to stay home to help her own father with his business. Meanwhile, Lisa's father really didn't care either way. Of course he wanted Lisa to be successful, but his father-in-law needed the help that he himself was too busy to offer. College could wait. Besides, he had joined the army instead of going to college right away, and he was doing just fine. He was even able to teach his daughter how to fight because of his experience there._

 _The sound of several books falling off of a shelf brought Lisa out of her thoughts and she ran toward the noise. When she got to a corner of the bookstore by the reading nook, she saw a blonde boy about her age rubbing a spot on his head as he glared down at the books surrounding him._

 _The boy looked up to see Lisa and noticed that she was wearing the store's uniform, "I'm so sorry!"_

 _Lisa walked over, waving her hand in dismissal, "Don't be. This actually happens all the time. Even if the culprits are usually younger than you by about a decade or so." She began to pick up the books, "Let me guess. You were pulling out a book and it dragged some of its buddies out with him."_

 _The boy nodded, "Yeah actually. I was so focused on the book that I didn't notice some others were being taken out with it." He picked up one of the books off the floor, "This is the one I wanted... and it's not even the right book."_

 _She paused stacking the books, "What kind of book were you hoping for?"_

 _"Something relaxing. I started college not long ago and already I'm swamped with work. Sometimes I swear I'm so tense that I'll just snap."_

 _Lisa gently took the book out of his hands before inspecting it, "This is definitely not the book you want. This was written to keep readers on the edge of their seat. There's too much suspense and plot twists for it to relax you. As awesome as this book is, you'll want to wait."_

 _As she put it back on the shelf, the boy asked, "You read it?"_

 _"Whenever I'm bored, I have an endless stock of entertainment, whether it's paper or hardback," she replied as she crouched to get the rest of the books._

 _He began to hurriedly crouch too, "Let me help you."_

 _As he went to get down, Lisa was standing back up. In a matter of milliseconds, their foreheads knocked together. Both went to grab where their head was hit, Lisa consequentially dropping the books she was holding._

 _The boy was quick to apologize, "Sorry!"_

 _Lisa, meanwhile, tried to make light of the situation, "Wow, you've got a thick skull!"_

 _He chuckled shyly, "So do you."_

 _As the two began stacking the books together, Lisa asked, "So are you liking college so far?"_

 _"Yeah. I get homesick sometimes, but I like it at Berkeley."_

 _Her eyes widened, "You go to Berkeley?!"_

 _He nodded, "Yep. You should've seen my face when I found out they actually accepted me."_

 _"No wonder you've got so much homework!"_

 _When all of the books were returned to their proper place, Waylon asked, "What about you? Where do you go to school?"_

 _Lisa shrugged, pretending like she didn't care, "No college for me yet. We're waiting for business to get better here." As she observed the pity on his face, she quickly changed the subject, "If you want a relaxing book, you'll have to follow me."_

 _He held out his hand to his right, "Lead the way."_

 _"I would, but that's the wrong way. Follow me."_

 _They went the opposite direction and Lisa grabbed a book off the shelf about 30 feet later. It was a small, cream colored and hardback book._

 _"What is it?"_

 _Lisa put the book in his hands, "This book is filled with so many cliches and is very predictable, but somehow people seem to enjoy it."_

 _He nodded, "I've never been one for surprises. I like everything to go as planned. My least favorite quote has to be, 'Anything that can go wrong will.'"_

 _"Aw, Murphy's Law. I learned about that in_ Fingle's Law of Dynamic Negatives _."_

 _The boy seemed impressed, "You might be the first person I met that knows the law's name."_

 _Lisa shrugged, "I have too much time on my hands. If I'm not reading, I'm researching the books I've read. My life's been pretty boring lately."_

 _"You know," he glanced at her name tag, "Lisa, most of the girls I went to high school with would rather eat glass than pick up a book."_

 _"My grandfather owns a book store that he lives in. You learn to appreciate them. Now lets get this book checked out Mr..." she trailed._

 _"Park. I'm Waylon Park."_

* * *

Lisa stopped screaming as the electricity turned off, her throat sore from screaming. She had no idea how long she had been shocked, but she was already exhausted.

"Impressive," said Trager, "I would've thought you'd have passed out by now, Sugar."

"Don't... call me... that!" she growled between breaths.

"You really are a tough cookie. Lets try again."

Before Lisa could even blink, electricity continued to flow through her body. She hadn't felt anywhere near this much pain since she was in labor.

* * *

 _"CAN'T THIS MISERABLE EXCUSE FOR A CAR GO ANY FASTER?!" yelled Lisa in the passenger's seat._

 _Waylon clutched her hand tighter, obviously trying to remain calm, "Hang on! We're almost there!"_

 _Lisa had gone into labor during dinner with their first child. No amount of those parenting classes she and Waylon went to together could prepare her for this much pain. How those women in the videos were able to stay so calm she had no idea._

 _"WE NEED TO GET THERE SOON! I'M NOT GIVING BIRTH IN THE CAR, WAYLON!"_

 _Seeing his wife act uncharacteristically panicky made Waylon feel more anxious, "You're not going to give birth in the car! Here!"_

 _Waylon released Lisa's hand before wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. Lisa then reached for the hand around her, wanting to hold it again. Groaning, she laid her head on Waylon's shoulder._

 _He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "Concentrate on your breathing. Focus on nothing else."_

 _"How?!" she exclaimed, thought it was muffled by her husband's shoulder._

 _"Come on Lisa, I'll do it with you. In..."_

 _"Waylon!"_

 _"_ In _..." he waited until she inhaled with him,"and out." They exhaled._

* * *

"ENOUGH!" Lisa yelled as the electricity was once again turned off. She was still shaking from the volts that had coursed through her body. As she breathed, it sounded like it was a chore. She wasn't sure if her throat had ever been this hurt from screaming so much.

"Third time's the charm! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll pass out this time! Until then, just think happy thoughts!" The cheeriness in his voice made Lisa want to throw up whatever was in her stomach, if she even had the strength to do so.

Lisa actually tried to take his advice as she felt like she was being set on fire again.

* * *

 _Little Owen came bounding into the hospital room, "I wanna see him! I wanna see him!"_

 _While tired from just giving birth to Nick, Lisa's eyes sparkled at seeing her son so happy. For a moment, she forgot that she was wearing a gown and lying in a hospital bed for the second time in her life. Waylon was standing beside her with his own smile on his face._

 _The reason for Owen's excitement, was wrapped up tightly in a blue blanket and wearing a matching hat to keep him warm. While he was awake, it was apparent that he was struggling to keep his eyes open._

 _Waylon reached his arms out to his toddler, "Alright, come on over!"_

 _Owen complied, running into his father's arms. As he was lifted up the curiosity in his eyes was so adorable that it could melt the coldest heart. Waylon placed him on the bed next to Lisa, and she adjusted Nick so that Owen could easily see him._

 _"Owen," she began, "this is Nicholas, your baby brother."_

 _"A baby brother," Owen repeated. "What does it do?"_

 _Waylon chuckled, "Nothing much yet. Mostly eat, sleep, and poop. Give him some time and he'll be up and about with you."_

 _"I hope so!" Owen then asked, "If he's a boy, why is he pink? Isn't that a girl color?"_

 _Lisa answered, "Don't worry, Wen-Wen, that's normal. You were pink too when you were born. He won't be pink for long."_

 _"Oh."_

 _The parents watched as their boys locked their eyes, each one trying to sort out how they feel about this new person. Lisa desperately hoped that they loved each other. As an only child, she doesn't know much about siblings. While Waylon and his sisters get along fine, she's met plenty of other siblings who can't stand each other. The boys having the latter relationship won't only make life harder for Lisa, but she wants them to be as happy as they possibly could be._

 _Finally, Waylon asked the question that's been rattling in her head, "Do you like him?"_

 _Hesitantly, Owen held out his finger and lightly touched Nick's nose. In response, Nick hiccuped. Lisa had no idea how a simple hiccup made Owen so happy, but she was still delighted when his face lit up like a Christmas tree and he nodded his head._

 _"Yeah!" He then addressed the baby, "Hi Nick. I'm Owen. You're going to be my brother from now on, okay?"_

 _Nick hiccuped as a reply._

 _Lisa rested a hand on Owen's shoulder, "Owen, remember that talk we had last week about what to expect from now on?"_

 _"You said babies needed a lot of attention. More than kids my age."_

 _"Right. Like your father said, babies can't do much, so Nick is going to need help to do everything. Our job as your mommy and daddy is to give you protection and nurture. Nick is going to need all of these things too."_

 _Waylon chimed in, "Mommy's right. We both love Nick, but no matter what, we'll always love you just as much. There's no reason to ever be jealous."_

 _Owen nodded, "Okay Mommy and Daddy. I won't be jealous." He then turned to his new friend and smiled, "I'll be a good big brother. I promise."_

* * *

Finally, Lisa passed out and Trager turned off the machine.

He began to walk toward the chair, holding one of the many cords that connected to Lisa. When he finally got to where he stood next to her he couldn't help but gaze the unconscious woman. The water that he had dumped on her was now mixed with sweat. He also wondered if there were any tears on her face, so he grabbed her face and moved it so that he could check for any sign that she had cried. He found none.

Trager whistled in amazement as he released her face and watched her head fall forward. He had met the quiet and reserved Mr. Park before. All the man ever talked about was his work, but Trager was given the humble job of sorting through his things for a cell phone. His wallet had many pictures of his sons and Trager had also come across some romantic letters written by Lisa.

He knew Waylon Park was doing whatever he could to get back to his wife and kids. It was like he was a lost puppy who had been separated from its family and was now desperately searching for them in the rain. The determination that he heard Mr. Park was using to get home would touch Trager's heart if he had one.

Just then, he thought he heard some sort of commotion downstairs and went to investigate.

* * *

 **I was going to make Lisa's pain more graphic, but decided to tone it down a bit.**


	19. Chapter 19

**I feel like you guys want to know what happens to the boys and that I've kept everyone waiting long enough.**

 **Lily, indeed that is what we all want! Miazaki-san is actually writing a sequel to Milestones. She already posted the prologue! Ae-cha eventually will meet Waylon Park's sons in the future! :) I highly recommend that you go read it! It seems like everyone enjoyed the flashbacks, which is good because I was afraid everyone would find them boring!**

 **Riceball231, aren't they so cute?! :D Trager definitely does hear someone! ;) I'm glad you liked the nickname Wen-Wen, Miazaki-san inspired that! You'll be seeing Nick and Wen-Wen in this chapter!**

 **I don't own Outlast!**

* * *

Both boys trembled under the gaze of the Groom. They weren't quite sure what it was that told them this, but they knew this was the feared Eddie Gluskin that they had to protect their father from.

But until then, they had to protect themselves.

The man clasped his bloody hands together in delight, "Children!"

"RUN, NICK, RUN!" shouted Owen before pushing his brother in the opposite direction.

They didn't need to look back to know that Gluskin was chasing them. Like their mother could merely hours before, they heard his heavy footsteps as he followed. Of course, Eddie had much longer legs than the two boys, so it wouldn't take long for him to catch up. Their only hope was to make enough twists and turns that they would lose him in the labyrinth of halls.

Nick chanced a look behind him and noticed that the Groom was far too close. Surprisingly, instead of being upset, he was smiling like this was some sort of game. The expression was probably supposed to be joyful and welcoming, but Nick was reminded of those pictures of smiling, scary clowns. His eyes were so focused on Gluskin, that he ran into a wall, but was quick to recover and follow Owen.

Nick huffed, "We're not losing him!"

"Just keep going!"

"I'll get you!" giggled the variant.

"Daddy's got to be nearby!" exclaimed Nick as he ran.

"Yeah, but where?!"

"Right behind you!" cooed the man.

Both boys looked back as they ran, but all they could see was Eddie still chasing them. As they ran, Owen gave Nick a slight push on the back in a nonverbal command to run faster. Nick understood the gesture and obeyed, but Eddie also sped up.

Owen began to wonder how good the odds were that they'd get away. This variant had been here much longer than either of them have. He knew this place too well to get lost whereas the children already found themselves confused as to where they were.

"Owen, stop!"

The eldest halted next to Nick, "What?!"

"He's gone."

Owen turned around and noticed that Eddie was nowhere to be seen, "We lost him?"

"I think so."

He shook his head in disbelief, "That... that doesn't make any sense. He was just here!"

"I don't see him!" Nick whispered so he wouldn't attract Gluskin's unwanted attention.

"He's still close," Owen said, "He thinks this is some sort of round of hide and go seek or tag."

"I don't want to play, Owen."

Owen ushered Nick along, "Keep your ears open. I bet his goal is to jump out and surprise us. Like how Mom and Dad used to do when we played around the hedges, remember?"

Nick nodded, but asked, "Is he going to kill us?"

"I don't know, but lets not stop and ask him."

They continued down the corridor, every so often calling for Pal. Silence was always their answer. They both wondered if they would've preferred some sort of screaming instead. It assured them that they weren't isolated.

Nick and Owen jumped when they felt a hand on each of their shoulders and looked up. Unsurprisingly, they were met with the bloodshot eyes of Eddie Gluskin.

The Groom chuckled, "Did I scare you?"

Nick replied as Owen yanked them both out of the Groom's hands, "You killed that man!"

"Oh, her?" asked Eddie. Owen tried to stand protectively in front of Nick, but he also felt the need to protect his older brother and stayed next to him. "She could've been your mother, but she misbehaved."

Owen tried to sound braver than he actually felt, "We already have a mother!"

"Of course you do! I just have to find and marry her!"

Nick followed his brother's example and tried to sound fearless, "She's already married!"

"I'm afraid not yet, but soon! I just have to fix her."

Owen raised an eyebrow, "Fix her? You mean cut off a guy's junk?!"

"Where's our Dad!"

Eddie gestured to himself, "Right here! And as your father I must say that it is getting late. Shouldn't you two be in bed? Lets get going."

"NO!" yelled Nick before kicking the man as hard as he could in the shin. Eddie hardly reacted, but it was obvious that the little kick had angered him. Once again, both boys took off running as Gluskin chased them.

Before, Gluskin hadn't caught up to them on purpose. In his mind, he was a father playing with his sons. Now, however, he was chasing them to put disobedient children to bed. It was only a matter of seconds before he had a boy slung over each shoulder.

Owen and Nick didn't have the strength or fighting skills to fight back. They kicked and yelled, hoping to catch the attention of Pal or their father, but nothing seemed to be happening. What they didn't know was that their screams were close enough to their father that he stirred in his sleep and that they were loud enough that a limping Pal could hear them downstairs. As an extra bonus, they also caught the attention of the Walrider.

Eddie kicked a door open and tossed each boy onto the wooden floor, "I was going to read your favorite story, but you've lost that privilege for the night!"

He slammed the door and the boys heard the lock click. Immediately, Owen began to ram himself against the door, getting more of a running start each time. Nick joined him at first, but after a few hits he realized the door wasn't budging.

Nick stopped, "Owen!"

Owen quit ramming himself against the door and began pounding on it instead, "HEY! LET US OUT!"

"Owen!" shouted Nick as his brother continued to hit the door, "Owen, this isn't going to work! We need to stop and think for a minute!"

"We don't have a minute, Nick!"

"Yes we do! He thinks its our bedtime, he won't be back for awhite!"

"Well he's still got Dad!"

"Pal's looking for him!"

Owen punched the door before resting his hands on it, "Just shut up!"

"The door's not moving! We need to try something else!"

"I told you to shut up, Nick! We need to get out of here now or we're all going to die! Is that what you want Nick?!"

"...No but..."

"Then leave me alone!" Owen pounded on the door again before realizing what he had just said.

There had been a few instances when he had truly yelled at Nick. Each time he was always impressed at how Nick didn't cry or even yell back. But now he had just yelled at him and admitted that there was a big chance that they wouldn't get out of this place alive.

Slowly turning, he saw Nick sitting on the opposite end of the wall, hugging his knees as tears slid down his face. Owen couldn't resist. Wiping away his own tears, he walked over and sat next to Nick.

He sighed, "Nick... I'm so sorry. Not just for yelling. Everything."

Nick wiped his nose with the back of his hand, "What do you mean?"

"I'm the reason you're in this place, Nick. If I had refused to let you join or hadn't admitted that I was going to go after Dad, your life wouldn't be at risk."

Nick shook his head, "It's not your fault."

"Yeah, it is Nick. I put you in danger and I'll never forgive myself for it."

"If you had told me you weren't going after Dad, I wouldn't have believed you. I would've demanded that you take me with you still. And you didn't know that Mount Massive would be like this. But Owen, I want you to answer this question honestly."

Owen was nervous, but nodded anyway, "Shoot."

"Is there a possibility that we're going to die?"

Owen refused to make eye contact. He was fighting with himself on whether to tell a white lie or the absolute truth. Nick would believe a white lie, or at least he would've before tonight. Owen had watched the whole night as Nick's childlike innocence was squeezed out of him bit by bit. To most people it wouldn't seem like it, but Owen knew better. Yet he didn't want to burden Nick with the truth.

His silence spoke volumes to Nick and he decided that if there was a possibility of death, some words had to be said, "Owen, you're a good big brother."

Owen scoffed, "Sure. Look where I dragged us."

"All of my friends complain that their big brothers are mean to them. They call them names and steal their toys, but you don't do that. You're the perfect big brother."

"Again Nick, look where we are."

"I've always been sort of jealous though."

Shocked, Owen turned so that he was facing Nick, "What?"

"You're better than me. You're really athletic, but yet you're smart too. Remember when you built that robotic arm by yourself? I could never do anything like that."

"It wasn't as hard as it looked. It just took some internet searches and some prior knowledge about mechanics."

"My proudest achievements are all of those pictures I drew that Mommy and Daddy hang up on the fridge. Sometimes, I think you're their favorite."

Owen dropped his tough attitude completely and pulled Nick into a hug, "No! No, I'm not! I used to think that you were, but then I remembered that Mom and Dad love us the same. Have you ever noticed that I can't go one day without breaking a rule but there are days when you don't even mean to not break any and are well behaved? You're so much easier on them! You're not even six yet and already you draw, play music, read, and have a better relationship with the neighbors than me. So you can't build a robotic arm? You're five! And if I didn't have the passion, I wouldn't have been able to do it either! You'll find yours soon enough."

Nick's mouth was agape as he stared at Owen. To hear his role model give him so many compliments from the heart made him want to fly. Being confirmed that their parents love them both the same lifted a weight that Nick didn't even realize was on his shoulders.

"Thank you," he whispered as he returned the hug.

Owen smiled and said something that he knew he should've said a long time ago, "I love you, Nick. You're the best little brother that I could ask for."

* * *

Lisa was very disoriented when she woke up. Her head couldn't stay still and she was sure she would've flopped forward if she wasn't restrained. She didn't even bother to open her eyes when Trager opened the door and light streamed in.

"Have you seen a tall guy with some missing fingers and a jacket?" asked Trager. After Lisa shook her head he responded with, "No? Oh well. I'll find him. I hope I haven't broken that spirit of yours Mrs. Park. Whenever I torture someone here they always act so pathetic. Your defiance as well as that guy's with the camera was awfully refreshing."

Her eyes still closed, Lisa smirked, "Don't worry. I still have my spirit. And you'll soon get tired of it."

He laughed, "I doubt it. By the way, the reason why the guy escaped was because I didn't have the door locked. He was strapped to a wheelchair so I saw no reason to. But I don't plan to make the same mistake twice. I'm afraid you'll have to be locked in."

"You think a little lock will stop me if I can get myself untangled from this?"

Trager didn't answer. He just shut the door and locked it as he promised. Lisa felt herself slip back into unconsciousness.

* * *

 **The next chapter should be ready soon! I already wrote part of it!**

 **If you've read Milestones, Miazaki-san has posted a new story called "The Adolescence of Ae-cha" that is worth checking out too! If you haven't read Milestones, I highly recommend that story too!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hi everybody! :D**

 **Remember that scene in Whistleblower when Waylon wakes up and is tied down to that table? That's happening in this chapter. It's not very graphic but I feel the need to warn everyone anyway!**

 **Lily, you have a good point! No one would dare take what the Groom claims! Do you know about Miazaki-san's blog for Milestones and now for The Adolescence of Ae-cha? The link's on her profile. If you go there, you'll find that both Miazaki-san and I also like the idea of the two as a couple. :) Also, before I forget, remember how in Chapter 50 of Milestones there was a special collection of one shots? She recently added a new one where Miles takes a five-year-old Ae-cha to a Daddy/Daughter Dance. I think you'd like it!**

 **I don't own Outlast!**

* * *

The boys had decided that brute force wasn't enough to escape. They had silently agreed to relax as they thought of another way to get out. Hence why they were sitting next to each other staring at the door, Nick's head on Owen's shoulder and Owen's cheek on the other's head.

"I like to think we'll find Daddy and get out," said Nick.

"Me too. Imagine the look on Mom's face when she sees us walking through the door."

Nick looked up at Owen, "Because we were gone for so long or because we don't look very good?"

Owen observed himself and Nick. His little brother was right about how they looked. Nick had quite a few scratches and bruises here and there while his clothes had tears in them. Owen's bump on his head wasn't visible, but his scratches and bruises everywhere else stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Both, I guess. Wonder if we'll still have to go to school tomorrow?"

Nick yawned as he put his head back on the shoulder, "I hope not. I like drawing and music, but I'm too tired."

Owen smirked, "Tell you what. As soon as we get out of here, you can go to sleep. Then when we wake up, we'll try and convince Mom and Dad to help us bake cookies. Sure, we're probably going to be grounded, but we can compromise on punishments."

"It needs to be chocolate cookies with lots of frosting and sprinkles. Especially red sprinkles. And I'll take it with milk. Or any drink really. Just as long as it's not soda!" Nick made a disgusted face at the thought. "We'll have to make something else for you though."

Owen chuckled, "I was worried that you forgot about my chocolate allergy."

"We'll make something else," Nick repeated, "What would you like?"

"Regular sugar cookies would be fine. Maybe I can convince Mom and Dad to put some of my favorite ice cream on it." Owen sighed dramatically, "Sugar cookies and strawberry ice cream."

Nick asked, "Can I have ice cream on mine?"

"You already have the frosting and sprinkles. Besides, chocolate fudge ice cream on a chocolate cookie? That's a bit much you chocoholic."

Nick laughed before growing somber, "I don't care if I have to eat only vegetables for the rest of my life. I just want to leave with Daddy and be home with our parents."

Owen nodded, his cheek ruffling Nick's blonde hair, "I know. We came here to get Dad and that's what we'll do."

They jumped to their feet in surprise when they heard what sounded like whispering. It wasn't until they saw familiar black smoke seeping through the door crack that they relaxed. Smiles appeared on their faces as the Walrider crawled from under the door.

"Yay!" Nick cheered as he ran into the Walrider's waiting arms for a hug.

Owen ran over too, "We have to get out of here! Our dad has to be close by!"

The Walrider gave a curt nod before going back under the door. Seconds later, the boys heard the door unlock and it swung open. They were a bit startled when the Walrider grabbed them both and began zooming through the halls. It particularly took them by surprise when he flew out of an open window.

He set the children gently down in a little courtyard that was surrounded by walls save for a little door that went back inside. Peeking past the fountain, the boys saw Pal stand up from the little bench.

"Pal!" they called in unison.

Pal smiled and walked towards them, the limp unnoticeable, "Lucky the Walrider found me. And I have even better news!"

Nick took a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket, "So do we! We found out your name is Osmond Wallach!"

The smile instantly left Pal's face as Nick held out the unfolded piece of paper to him. Slowly, Pal reached out with shaky hands and grasped the edges of it. His face was full of disbelief as he brought the paper closer to him and read it. Flashes of a pregnant woman began appearing in his mind as he read. Then there was a destroyed Cadillac and a casket.

"How could I forget the love of my life?" he whispered to himself. He looked up at the sky, "Forgive me, My Dear. I wanted to forget the accident. Not you or our child."

Owen rested his hand on Pal's arm in a comforting gesture. Pal looked down, returning a smile as he put the piece of paper in his pocket.

"Thank you both very much. Now I have a favor to ask of you."

Before he could say more, the Walrider went rigid. Billy could sense that something was off. What it was was that someone is now being sent to kill the host of the Walrider. The Walrider flew off without any explanation, but Pal decided to go through with his plan.

"Follow me," he commanded as he went inside the door.

Once inside, the three turned left where there was an open gate. Pal ushered the boys through it before closing it behind the children. Owen and Nick didn't question anything until they realized that Pal hadn't come after them.

"Pal?" Owen said as he tried to open the gate, "You locked the door!"

"For safety. Owen, Nicholas, stay here."

"Where are you going?!" asked Nick.

Pal was struggling on whether or not to tell them, "I'm going to save your father. I can't defeat the Groom in combat, but I can distract him long enough for your father to get here to you."

Owen shook his head rapidly, "You'll be killed! Let me help!"

Pal patted the pocket that the paper was in, "You both have helped me so much. More than either of you realize. I know not if we will meet again, but I promise you that I will do what I can so that you will be reunited with your father."

Nick seemed to be in disbelief, "So, this is goodbye?! But we just found you!"

"You've done so much to help me. Let me return the favor." He turned to leave, "One more thing. The punchline to my joke was, 'Bison.'"

Owen tried the door again with no results, "Pal wait!"

"Pal!"

But Pal had already left to get their father.

* * *

When Waylon first opened his eyes his vision was blurry, but he was very aware that he was naked on a wooden table. He tried to move, only to realize that he was tied down.

He looked up to see Eddie Gluskin tightening one of the ropes, "You have an amazing bone structure. You're going to be beautiful."

"NO!" shouted Waylon as he struggled.

Gluskin ignored him, "A woman has to suffer some things."

"I'm not a woman!"

"It's not pleasant, but please try to endure. For my sake. For the sake of our children."

Waylon glared at Gluskin, "Even if I survive this operation, I can't bear kids!"

Eddie just continued, "It won't take long. Just a few snips at the flesh here and here," he gestured to Waylon's breasts. "Cut away everything... vulgar."

"Eddie..."

"A soft place to welcome my seed," he continued as he scooched Waylon closer to the saw on the table, "To grow our family."

"I wanted to help you earlier at the Engine!" Waylon tried to explain, "I couldn't! If I had done anything we would've both gotten into so much more trouble Eddie!"

As Eddie continued speaking, Waylon spoke over him and the whirring saw, "I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything! I really am!"

"And birthing is never easy. I'll make the cut fast. Just close your eyes and think of our children."

As Eddie began moving Waylon even closer to the rotating saw, Waylon wanted to say more. He ended up choking on his words as he panicked. He desperately wanted to look away but couldn't. It was about then that a miracle happened.

Pal had just found Waylon Park naked and about to be mutilated, but alive. He didn't hesitate to spring into action. He swung his left fist and it collided with Gluskin's skull. Pal then proceeded to push the unsuspecting Eddie away from the table.

At around this time, another stroke of luck for Waylon occurred when the board that his left arm was tied to came loose and he was able to roll onto the floor. He watched as the two variants pushed against the other, trying to knock the other down. It appeared that they were equally matched, for neither one of them managed to knock the other over.

Pal wanted desperately to yell that Owen and Nick were here in the asylum, but he was frightened on what would happen if he took his attention off of the infamous Eddie Gluskin. He knew his top priority right now was to get the Groom away from the boys' father. That's why he smacked him as hard as he could against his temple before running. Just as he'd hoped, the Groom ran after him in anger.

While sending silent thank yous to the mystery variant that had saved his life, Waylon hurriedly put on his jumpsuit.

* * *

 **Originally, Gluskin was going to kill Pal, but he became more popular than I thought he was going to. That's why (for now) Pal's fate is a mystery. Although I can say that the boys are now determined to get him out of Mount Massive!**


	21. Chapter 21

**At last! One of the moments you've all been waiting for! :D**

* * *

"Can't we pick the lock?" asked Nick.

Owen was hunched over with one hand clutching the gate, "If we can find anything to pick it with."

"There has to be something!"

Owen sighed in frustration before a noise made the boys alert.

Nick spoke, "That sounded like a scream."

"And it sounded like Dad's."

They heard the voice of Gluskin next, "You all want to leave me? Is that it? You want to leave me? Fine! Go! You and the rest of these ungrateful sluts!"

The brothers remained absolutely silent, afraid that they wouldn't hear something important if they talked. When the door that lead out into the courtyard opened, they held their breaths. In came Waylon Park, closing the door without noticing his sons. He had a terrible limp and it didn't take long to see why. Blood stains new and old were evident on one of his pant legs by his foot. He was badly scratched up and there was a large bruise on his cheek. He looked far worse than either of the children.

Owen and Nick put their arms through the holes of the gate, reaching out to Waylon and yelling, "Dad!"

Waylon whipped to his left and saw them. To say he was shocked to see them was an understatement. It had to have been a hallucination. A wave of emotions overcame him as his mouth hung open in surprise. The limp and broken ribs completely forgotten, he ran to the gate. He quickly kneeled and fit his arms through the gate as best as he could so that he could hug his sons. It was a tight fit and it hurt, but Waylon didn't find it in himself to care. He was hugging his boys and they weren't an illusion. That was all that mattered.

Nick and Owen also hugged Waylon, clutching onto him as if afraid he would disappear if they let go. Finally, after hours of searching and worrying, here was there father. Grant it he was obviously injured, but he was alive. Tears slid onto the wooden floor as the boys gave out choked sobs. They wanted to be brave and tough, but they failed to not weep tears of joy.

The three didn't know how long they had stayed this way. They didn't keep track. All they could focus on was that they were together again. While happiness was one emotion Waylon felt, fear latched onto him at seeing his children in such a dangerous place. All of the terrible things that could have happened to them...

"Owen... Nick..." Waylon sniffed as tears fell out of his eyes.

Owen was astounded, "Dad... are you crying?!"

Waylon pulled away, settling on holding their hands, "Are you two alright?!"

Nick wiped his eyes, "Yeah."

Waylon nodded, "I don't want you both here! You should be at home asleep! And _safe_! What happened?!"

"We came here to get you out of the asylum," said Owen, "We didn't know it was this bad!"

Nick butted in, "We need to get home to Mommy! We told her we were going to Tyler's and now she's probably worried!"

Mentally kicking himself for not trying the door before, Waylon reached for the knob.

Owen noticed, "Pal locked the door."

"Pal?"

"He's our friend!" exclaimed Nick, "We have to bring him with us!"

Waylon cupped Nick's cheek, "We'll get you two out of here and then we'll come back for him. Alright?"

Hesitantly, Nick nodded.

"What are we going to do?" asked Owen.

"You and your brother wait here for me. I'm going to get the key to this door." Hearing that their father was going to leave, the boys began to protest. "I'll be right back. Don't worry. Just stay here where it's safe. I'll be back before you know it."

Waylon gave each son a kiss on the forehead before leaving to search for the key. The brothers held hands as they waited. Hugging could wait for when they got their father back once and for all.

* * *

"I've got it!" exclaimed Waylon.

The boys' faces lit up like Christmas trees when they saw Waylon limping over to them with a key. Waylon himself, was smiling despite the pain of walking on his injured foot. It only grew wider when he inserted the key and turned it.

"DAD!" screamed Owen.

Waylon was pushed against the gate before being pulled back and turned around. His assailant punched him so hard in the face that blood flew out of his mouth and Waylon fell onto his stomach. The sight of seeing Eddie Gluskin stab a man several times until his guts fell out flashed through the minds of the children. Owen laid down and reached for the golden key that had been dropped. It was so far away that Owen's fingertips barely touched it.

Nick, feeling utterly useless, was on the verge of tears, "DADDY GET UP!"

Waylon did, only to turn around and have Gluskin continuously punch him in the face like a boxer.

"One more. I try..." _Punch._ "and I try." _Punch._

Eddie shoved Waylon against the boarded up door, breaking it open. When Waylon fell on his back his broken ribs screamed in protest. The sound of him crashing through the door seemed to be the motivation Owen need to finally reach the key.

"And you all betray me!" For a moment Eddie was out of sight, but then to Waylon's horror he appeared with rope, "You can hang like the rest of them!"

"BOYS RUN!" he yelled before his voice was replaced with choking sounds.

As the rope tightened around Waylon's neck, Nick and Owen had barged out from their hiding spot. He watched them run over as he was hoisted in the air. He mentally begged them to come to their senses and leave.

"LET GO OF HIM!" screamed Owen as he leaped onto Eddie's back. He began punching Eddie on the face and shoulders. Basically anywhere he could hit.

For a moment, Waylon was dropped low enough so that Nick could jump onto him. The boy held onto his arm as the two were lifted up. He tried climbing to the rope around Waylon's neck, but it was proving difficult.

"You need to behave!" screamed Eddie as he finally managed to buck Owen off of his back.

As Owen slid off of his back, one of the boards on the ceiling collapsed, and father and son came crashing down. Somehow, the rope had pulled up a metal pole with a sharp end, impaling the Groom. Hanging in the air, the Groom gently grabbed one of Waylon's hands. Waylon was using his other hand to trap Nick's head against his chest. He didn't want him to see what had happened to the man.

"We could've been... beautiful..." was all Eddie said before he was pulled even higher and out of reach.

Waylon watched as Gluskin took his last breath. When the man finally went still, it took all of his willpower not to laugh. Never had he been so happy to see someone dead. However, he was afraid that if he laughed it would scare Owen and Nick.

His attention was taken off of Gluskin when he heard sobbing, "Don't look up, Owen!"

He looked at his eldest, who was still on the spot he landed. Owen wasn't looking up. In fact, he had his eyes screwed shut. Even though he was holding his hand over his left arm right before it met the shoulder, Waylon could see that his shirt sleeve was torn. That's also when he noticed the blood slipping between Owen's fingers.

"Owen!" he exclaimed before releasing Nick and dashing to Owen's side. "Let me see!"

Nick leaned over Waylon's shoulder and watched as Waylon had to pry Owen's hand away from his injury. Apparently, Owen had slid off of Gluskin before he himself could get impaled, but the pole had still caught his arm. Now there was a very, _very_ deep gash on the spot his hand previously covered.

"Oh my God..." Waylon acted quickly, ripping off a piece from his cleaner jumpsuit leg and wrapping it around Owen's wound.

Nick could understand why Owen was sobbing, but it was still so weird to see his confident and collected brother cry. It actually unnerved him quite a bit, which was not good for the situation they were in.

Waylon gently but firmly grabbed Owen by the cheeks, forcing him to look at him, "Owen, listen to me."

"Dad..." Owen managed to say.

"You're going to be okay! I know how to get out of here! We should only be about ten more minutes before we can leave the asylum. Then we'll get you to a doctor!"

Nick's eyes were drawn to the makeshift bandage. Already it was staining red. Owen noticed this too, but he had to trust that his father knew what he was talking about. It didn't make the pain any better though.

"It hurts!" he sobbed out. While his legs were fine, Owen felt too dizzy to use them. His father seemed to have realized this.

Gently, Waylon lifted Owen up bridal style, "I know, I know." His own injuries insisted that he put Owen down, that it was only the boy's arm, but his love for his son was enough to ignore them. "Lets go home."

* * *

 **I'm sorry! D: Owen's injury is going to be important throughout the rest of the story. That was tough to write though!**

 **I recently followed the example of a friend of mine and made a blog for this fan fiction on tumblr. It's called silkyterrier34fanfiction. If you want to, feel free to check it out! :)**

 **So what did you think of this chapter?**


	22. Chapter 22

**Lily, I'm humbled that you took the time to look at my new blog! :D Thank you very much and I'm sure Miazaki-san (if I'm allowed to speak for her) is just as thrilled as I am that you like our face claims! And yes! The boys have reunited! Now lets see what awaits them!**

 **I don't own Outlast!**

* * *

 _It was a particularly tranquil night. Waylon Park leaned against the doorway to the nursery. The mobile that had hypnotized a now sleeping Nick was still spinning lazily. Next to the crib was a bright green sleeping bag that greatly contrasted the blue, striped wallpaper with a young Owen curled inside of it._

 _It was the first night Nick would sleep in his own home. Waylon and Lisa had expected to come home to Waylon's mother watching the news and Owen sound asleep. Instead, they arrived to see that their eldest son was watching the news with her, holding a sleeping bag as he bounced up and down in anticipation. As it turned out, he had brushed his teeth and gotten dressed in his light yellow pajamas with dinosaurs, but he wanted to sleep in the baby's room that night. Nothing the parents said could change his mind._

 _It was a beautiful picture, his two young sons asleep peacefully. Waylon felt this strange mixture of serenity and determination. Much like when he had seen each boy for the first time and immediately knew that he would do anything and everything to keep them out of harm's way._

* * *

If Waylon wasn't with Owen and Nick, he would have strolled through the hallway and let the sun's warmth surround him. He spent most of his job in the basement, meaning he hadn't seen the sun since he first started. The beauty was breathtaking, but it was no time to appreciate it. His children were in danger as long as they were in this building.

Nick held one of Waylon's hands while the man used his other arm to carry Owen, "You said he'd be okay. Right Daddy?"

Waylon nodded, encouraging both the asker and the subject of the question, "Of course he will be."

Owen had stopped sobbing, but the tears never stopped flowing, "Will they cut off my arm?"

"No! No, your arm will be okay. It'll just need some stitches."

Owen nodded in understanding before a certain wave of dizziness made him go completely limp. Oddly, relaxing his muscles had caused more pain. It was like his muscles were used to being so tense. He stayed relaxed, telling himself that the pain would go away and that there was no need to be alert anymore.

"That's where we got in!" exclaimed Nick, pointing enthusiastically at a door.

Waylon observed the door, "It's bolted shut. Don't worry, there's another way out."

The boys felt deja vu as they went through the TV room, the hallway with bloody prints, and the hall by the lobby. The smell that they noticed when they first entered was completely ignored by them. They couldn't smell that odor unless they tried. They had smelt worse throughout their adventure here anyway.

When they reached the staircase, Nick bounded down two steps at a time saying, "I can hear birds!"

The others had also heard the singing, and Waylon was hurrying down the wooden steps after his youngest. When they reached the lobby, the main doors that had been previously shut were wide open, beckoning the trio to come closer.

When they stepped around the front desk, a voice made them stop, "Mr. Park?"

Owen found it in himself to focus on the speaker, "Mr. Blaire?"

Blaire was sitting at the doorway, clutching his abdomen. He also seemed to be struggling to speak.

"How are you three still alive?"

For the first time, Waylon spoke defiantly to Jeremy, "That's not important. What is is that we're leaving."

"Wait!" he tried to exclaim, "Lets make a deal. You help me and I help you. Please, help me up!"

"Perhaps if it was just the two of us, but I have my children with me," Waylon quickly interjected.

As expected, Blaire continued to beg, "But I can help you! I can get you a new higher paying job, or buy new paper to make up the drawing I ripped!"

Nick seemed heartbroken, "You ripped my drawing?"

Waylon reassured, "We'll tape it together when we get home, Nick. Now if you'll excuse us Mr. Blaire..."

Nick looked up at Waylon, "Are you sure, Daddy?"

"I'm sure. We have to hurry Nicky."

Nick nodded in understanding before they walked towards the exit, saying with genuine regret, "Sorry, Mr. Blaire."

"Well I'm not!" Blaire leapt up with surprising speed lunging a large shard of glass at Nick.

The piece of glass had been at the right height to cut Nick's throat open, but Waylon had moved his free arm in front of the little boy and pushed him backwards. It was with so much force that Nick almost fell backwards. Instead of the intended target, the glass had only scratched part of Waylon's arm.

Waylon stood in between the two, but turned his back to Blaire so that Owen was out of the way, "What is wrong with you?!"

Jeremy still clutched his stomach, but held the glass threateningly at them, "No one can know! No one-!"

He was stopped short by what sounded like whispers. He looked up to where the noise was coming from only to be carried into the air. The piece of glass fell out of his hand and onto the carpet.

"It's the Walrider!" yelled Nick.

"How did it get out?!" screamed Blaire as he was tossed around like a rag doll.

Waylon knew what was coming, and he didn't want his boys to see it. He grabbed Nick by the hand and together, they ran out of the building and down the stairs. A particular scream had caused Nick to look back, but the sight of Mr. Blaire's parted remains made him look away again.

The pavement tore up Waylon's feet as he ran, but nothing was going to slow him down. Especially when he saw the apparently abandoned jeep. He grabbed the door handle, internally celebrating when it opened. Carefully, he rested Owen in the driver's seat.

"We're taking this car?!"

"We don't have a choice Nick! Hurry!"

Nick obeyed, diving through the driver's side and sitting next to Owen on the passenger's seat. A black cloud forming in front of the asylum caught his attention after he buckled himself and Owen in.

Waylon followed his son's gaze. Turning on his camera and zooming in, he got a good look at what was forming. Instead of the Walrider, the figure appeared to be an actual human. This confused him greatly since Billy was kept in the basement to keep him from combining with the Walrider. Then he noticed that the figure was too tall to be Billy and appeared to be wearing normal clothes instead of Billy's uniform.

He hopped inside the vehicle and started the jeep. Not even bothering to buckle his seat belt, he did a u-turn. The nanites were now surrounding the vehicle, either trying to help or kill Waylon. He floored the gas pedal and the car miraculously broke through the large gate.

The only thing keeping Waylon from going at break-neck speeds was the worry of crashing a car with his children in it. That didn't stop him from breaking the speed limit though.

Owen smiled, "We made it!"

Nick cheered so loud that it hurt everyone's ears, "Yeah!"

All three started laughing. It had felt like they had been in there for years. The night had especially been long for Owen and Nick since they hadn't gotten any sleep. The fact that they were now off of the asylum's grounds was nearly unbelievable. Everyone tried their best to relax despite the adrenaline still rushing through them.

Nick leaned over and hugged his father, "We really missed you, Daddy!"

In response, Waylon messed up his sons' hair as he spoke, "I missed you too! I'm happy to see that you're safe now!" His face grew somber, "You shouldn't have come here. It's too dangerous in that asylum."

Owen averted his eyes, "So I guess we're grounded now, huh?"

Waylon shook his head, "I think what you've been through tonight has been enough. Your mother will agree once we describe what happened in there. You two haven't had a wink of sleep. Why don't you two try to get some rest?"

Nick shook his head, "But we want to talk to you!"

He smiled, "We'll talk more later after you wake up."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

Nick nodded, eyes already drooping. When he rested his head against Waylon's side he was immediately out. Owen, however, was in too much pain to even think about sleeping. That's why he settled to looking out the window, watching the trees go by. That is until his head began spinning.

Waylon shifted his gaze to the badge hanging on the mirror. The overwhelming guilt at seeing the owner's name on it made him dizzy. He had seemingly lead Miles Upshur to his death.

No amount of guilt could have made him miss the blue he saw out of the corner of his eye. Seeing what it was, he hit the brakes in shock. The stop was fast enough to startle Owen, but not fast enough to wake Nick. Waylon clutched the steering wheel as he gazed at what had caught his attention. Owen saw it next, and the two began gaping at it together.

"Dad... Is that our car?"

* * *

 **I was originally going to stop the chapter after they broke through the gate, but then I realized that some of you might start screaming at your screens for Waylon to go back! XD**

 **How did you like this chapter?**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hi! Sorry I didn't post this sooner, but I was a bit preoccupied.**

 **Savannahham217, sorry I couldn't update sooner! :( Sadly, I can't tell you how it ends because someone who doesn't like spoilers might be reading this. I will tell you though that we will be seeing Pal again!**

 **I don't own Outlast! (I also don't own Toy Story, which is mentioned in the chapter.)**

* * *

 _Waylon tapped the foot not on the gas pedal in excitement. The scratchy tux and choking bow tie would all be worth it in the end. That is, if the beautiful woman next to him accepted his proposal._

 _Lisa was wearing a long purple dress with black heels. Waylon had made it obvious to his girlfriend that the restaurant they were heading to was very upscale, so she also wore her hair in an up sweep and a pearl necklace. However, her boyfriend had neglected to tell her what restaurant they would be dining at._

 _"So... where are we going?" asked Lisa._

 _Waylon answered in a sing-song voice, "I'm not telling..."_

 _Lisa observed the countryside that the car was currently riding along, "I assume it's somewhere in the city. We're not exactly wearing the right attire for a picnic."_

 _Waylon was about to respond that she was correct, but was interrupted by the sound of the car breaking down._

* * *

 _One tow truck later, Waylon revealed that the place they were going to had closed while they were stuck out there for the past few hours. The couple's plans for the night had drastically changed from eating at the area's finest restaurant to watching_ Toy Story _in their pajamas._

 _Normally, Waylon would have been perfectly content sitting on the couch with his girlfriend cuddling up to him, but not now. For months he had been saving up for the trip as well as the ring. For months he had been preparing his speech about why he loves Lisa and how he considered himself beyond lucky to have her. For months he had been waiting._

 _His mood didn't go unnoticed by Lisa. Every time she directed her attention away from the movie to him he looked sadder and sadder. She had a feeling that there was more to it than just missing dinner._

 _"Waylon, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"_

 _He looked down at her curious yet worried eyes. He had planned on waiting until their car was fixed so that he could make another reservation._

 _But, looking at her, he decided that he had waited long enough, "Marry me?"_

* * *

Waylon put the red jeep into park before jumping out to inspect the van. He opened the driver door, thankful that Lisa often forgot that the lock button on the key fob had to be pushed twice. Inspecting inside, there was no doubt that this was their van. Some of Lisa's belongings were on the passenger's seat and Nick's car seat was in the back.

There was no question about it. Lisa was here and had followed the road up to the asylum.

Not for the first time that day, Waylon felt the world crash around him. He had to go back, but the kids were with him and there was no way he was bringing them with him.

"Dad?" Owen whispered loud enough for Waylon to hear.

His first instinct was to take the boys down to civilization before sending them to a hospital. While they were on the way there, Waylon would go back for Lisa. Problem was, Waylon didn't have faith in anyone near this place. Murkoff had a number of loyal employees and allies who could be at the base of the mountain. No one could be trusted.

"We have to get her Dad," said Owen.

Waylon ran over to the car, unbuckled their seat belt and carried Nick to the van, "No Owen. Just me."

Owen's eyes widened in horror, "No! You can't go back in there! Not without me at least!"

He placed Nick in the passenger's seat, "I'm not bringing you, Owen! It's too dangerous!"

"But we just got you back!" cried Owen.

As Waylon picked up Owen, the boy's tough attitude tumbled, showing his true age. Once again, he sobbed, this time from the pain in his heart.

The boy wrapped his good arm around Waylon's neck and his tears were absorbed by the jumpsuit, "Don't leave!"

"We're going to be alright," comforted Waylon, "I'll bring your mother back and we'll all go to the hospital. However, I have some instructions for you."

Waylon placed Owen in the driver's seat of the van, "I don't know how long I'll be in there. If I'm not back for awhile, use your mother's cell phone to call 911. They can get you to a hospital. Do not tell them where you hurt your arm and request that only an ambulance come. No police. Not yet. Do you understand?"

The boy felt torn. He wanted to help his mother but yet he could stand with how dizzy he was. Besides, someone had to be with Nick.

Owen nodded as he wept, "Promise you'll come back?"

Waylon responded, "I have an idea on how to locate your mother quickly. Stay here."

As his father closed the door, Owen desperately wanted to jump out and follow him, but the pain in his arm was too much. He felt too weak and dizzy to do anything. All he could do was watch as the jeep turned around and drove back.

* * *

The Walrider had separated from his very tired new host. After ushering away the Whistleblower, Owen, and Nicholas, Miles Upshur had grown too sick to stand even with the Walrider's help. That was to be expected.

The Walrider settled with exploring the halls on his own. Particularly any spots he didn't go to yet. Richard Trager's domain had yet to be explored, and he was informed of his death the moment he merged with Miles. He saw Trager's dead body and didn't hesitate to destroy it as he did Blaire. Strangely, his thirst for blood had been disappearing. Billy's influence on him was being mixed with his new host's. There would always be some influence from Billy, such as the Walrider's love for Pal, but there was no doubt that he was somehow changing.

He crawled yet under another door in the area, but he was met with an unexpected sight. He saw a brunette woman tied down in a chair, unconscious. The Walrider recognized her as a woman he met in the vocational block. She had somehow gotten away from him, but it seemed that she landed herself in some other predicament.

Not sure what to do about her, he simply turned away and left.

* * *

 **Go, Waylon, go!**

 **Nick's not going to be too happy when he wakes up!**

 **I wasn't originally going to write about Waylon's proposal, but Miazaki-san inspired me to! :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**It's Waylon's rescue mission! Also we get to meet a character again! Hint: His car was stolen. :)**

* * *

Waylon slammed the jeep door shut before going as fast as his damaged heel would let him to the doors. Some might consider him crazy for reentering a nightmare that he had just escaped from, but Waylon felt he had no choice. He just hoped that Upshur or the Walrider were nearby.

As soon as he entered the lobby he saw that his prayers had been answered. Sitting behind the desk was an obviously injured and sick Miles Upshur. The man stood up quickly in surprise before toppling over onto the floor.

Waylon rushed over and leaned over the counter, "Are you okay?!"

Upshur groaned, "Considering that I've been..." he wrapped his arms around his midsection in pain, "chased, had my fingers cut off, been shot, and... am now possessed by some ghost, I'd say I'm doing very well."

Waylon didn't miss the sarcasm in the reporter's voice, but chose to ignore it, "You've been shot?!"

Miles spread out his arms, revealing several bullet wounds on his stomach and chest, "Maybe once or twice."

"There's no doubt about it then," said Waylon, "You're the new host. Which is why I need your help!"

"The last time I tried to help you, I was dragged into this mess. Now you have to help me by revealing this place! Why do you think I let you take my car?"

"I will as soon as you help me!" exclaimed Waylon, "My wife... I think she's here!"

Miles raised his eyebrows, "Is that so?"

"I don't have time to check every nook and cranny of this place! I have my children waiting at the base of the mountain in our broken down car! One of them has a bleeding arm that needs medical attention! And I can guarantee you that they both need their mother!"

Upshur groaned as he stood, "And you think dragging me with you is going to help?"

Waylon shook his head, growing impatient "No. Obviously you haven't come across her, but the Walrider could have."

"How am I supposed to know if it did?"

He explained, "You and the Walrider can reveal memories to each other. Plus, now you can hear the Walrider when he speaks." He placed a hand on Miles' shoulder as he pleaded, "Listen. I'm begging you! You have a family don't you? One that you would die protecting? How would you feel if you were in my position?!"

That seemed to have done the trick. His expression softened almost instantly as he looked down at his left hand. The reporter didn't speak as he continued to gaze where his ring finger once was. Waylon thought it best to leave him to his thoughts, even if he was anxious to get to Lisa.

"Can I go back to them like this?" Miles whispered to himself.

He was ready to respond with a yes, but realized that might not be the truth. While the Walrider may react differently with a new host, it was still a mystery what would happen if it was released in society. As long as Upshur stayed in the asylum, havoc would stay away from Colorado.

Waylon instinctively froze when he heard the familiar noise of the Walrider. He watched as a dark cloud appeared high in the air. When it turned into its more human form it looked at Miles in what seemed to be wonder.

Miles looked up and locked his gaze with the Walrider. They seemed to be speaking to each other with only stares. What Waylon didn't know was that they were communicating with each other, but telepathically.

In the blink of an eye the two combined and Waylon felt himself being flown through the asylum at top speed. To his relief they didn't fly long.

Waylon stumbled and braced himself against the door that he was dropped in front of. The landing had been awkward and he had nearly twisted his foot.

He heard Upshur speak, but his voice was more airy and it echoed, "In there."

He didn't get a chance to speak before the Walrider and Miles flew away. There was no time to waste. The doorknob didn't twist, which made Waylon wonder if he had been tricked by Miles. Like it was revenge for bringing the man here and subjecting him to this fate.

There was no time to find a key. Thinking quickly, he glanced over at a nearby cabinet and removed one of the drawers. He commenced slamming it against the locked door. After many smashes he had managed to create a hole that he could fit through.

The light that streamed in through the hole revealed his wife tied down to a chair. Her binds had a bunch of wires that all ran to this box in the back of the room. He immediately recognized it.

"No..." Waylon ran over. He first took off the head band, tossing it behind the chair. Without missing a beat, he proceeded to rip off her arm bindings before kneeling to release her trapped legs.

As soon as she was free he gently cupped her face in his hands, "Lisa? Baby? Can you hear me?"

She groaned as she weakly blinked her eyes open, "Waylon...?"

"Yeah..." Waylon smiled as he whispered, "Yeah it's me..."

Lisa offered him the best smile she could in her state. Her arms felt like they were made of lead as she raised them to wrap them around her husband's neck. She pulled him towards her and ended up clumsily crashing their lips together.

It didn't last long because Lisa's mind quickly remembered why she was here.

She pulled away, "The boys!"

"They're okay! They're in the van! It's not an emergency but I think Owen needs to see a doctor. He's been injured."

Lisa tried to stand, "Then what are we waiting for?!"

Waylon grabbed Lisa before she could collapse, "Let me help you."

* * *

The couple scurried along the halls. Lisa had one of her arms draped around Waylon's shoulder's. To keep her steady Waylon had one arm around her waist. He also held the arm that was around him, careful to avoid the red marks left by the straps.

"I think I can walk by myself from here on out, Waylon."

He was about to object when something grabbed his ankle and pulled. The spouses fell forward as their attacker revealed himself. His entire bottom lip was gone and someone had cut his left cheek open. His hands were caked in blood, his own and others. He stood over them menacingly, his laugh seemed too high to belong to him.

Waylon couldn't let himself, or more importantly Lisa, die now. They were so close to the exit again, and he would never forgive himself if something happened to Lisa. Luckily for him, Lisa actually did feel much better and her instincts kicked in too.

The variant leaned forward, only to have his eyes clawed at by Lisa. He backed away immediately, giving Waylon the chance to stand up and face him. Waylon tried to cold cock him, but the man grabbed his fist. He squeezed so tight that Waylon's knuckles made a cracking sound under the pressure. That's when Lisa stood up and swung her fist up to meet his chin. The scream he made sounded more like an animal's than a human's. He slammed his head into a window in anger before turning back to face the couple.

"Lisa, the window!"

They simultaneously rammed into the variant, pushing him back. The window broke on impact and the shards dug into his back. One more shove by the couple and he was falling out the window.

The couple ran, not looking back. They couldn't bring themselves to wonder what had happened to that man.

* * *

 **And they're out of here!**

 **I was going to include a wedding scene in the beginning, but decided against it. I don't want to steer too far away from the present. There is a possibility that I may write about their wedding in a different story. Truth be told, I already have some face claims for Waylon's and Lisa's family members.**

 **Please, let me know what you think! :D**


	25. Chapter 25

**Just a couple of more chapters left. Man, I really like writing this story though! :(**

 **Guest, thank you very much! :D Miles is very hesitant to leave due to the fact that he's the new host of the Walrider, but Waylon and Lisa have sent people to not only retrieve the variants but to persuade him to leave.**

 **Also, if you read "Milestones" or "The Adolescence of Ae-cha," then there's a special treat for you in this chapter! :D Thank you Miazaki-san for letting me use your characters!**

* * *

Going along the bumpy road had caused Nick to wake up, yet he refused to open his eyes. He was too tired to even bother with that. If it weren't for the voices, he would've gone right back to sleep.

He heard his brother, "But what exactly happened, Mom?"

There was some hesitation until he heard his mother's voice, "Now's not the time, Honey. What matters now is that we need to get to a hospital to make sure that we're all healthy."

"Can't we talk along the way?"

This time it was his father who spoke, "I think it would be best if we waited, Owen. We've all been through a lot last night."

"I'm sorry," responded Owen, "I just want to be sure everyone is okay."

It finally registered in Nick's brain that when he had fallen asleep his mother was absent from the car. His eyes opened and he saw Owen, his head resting on the care window. His brother, like himself, was sitting on someone's lap. Nick lifted his head off of the person and looked up to see his mother. She looked tired. Very tired.

"Mommy?"

She looked down, smiling softly at him, "Hello, Nicky."

"What are you doing here?"

"Mom followed us to the asylum. Dad went back to get her," Owen answered.

Nick turned his head and saw that his father was still driving the jeep. His eyes were dead-set on the road, but he still seemed to be listening to what was going on.

"Why don't you try and go back to sleep?" suggested Lisa.

Like a true little sibling would, Nick responded with, "Why does he get to stay up?"

"Owen wants to go to sleep, but his arm really hurts. Once we get him some painkillers, he'll be asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow."

A thought slipped into his mind, "Did Daddy get Pal too?"

He heard Waylon say, "I'm afraid not."

"That reminds me," said Owen, "You said this Miles guy is the Walrider's host, right? I thought Billy was the host."

Waylon sighed, "He was."

Nick turned his head again, "Why isn't he anymore?"

Waylon refused to answer. He wanted to protect the innocence that his children had left after their escapade through the asylum. However, the boys were also smart. His silence alone answered their question.

* * *

What happened after that was a blur to Nick. They arrived at the hospital and were separated from each other to be inspected.

There was no question that the injury on Owen's arm needed stitches. Lisa, meanwhile, was being examined to be sure she didn't get any serious injuries during her fights or the electricity.

Waylon's heel had gone several hours without being treated. There was a good chance that he had gotten an infection, especially since he was walking on floors that were already covered in blood. Cracked ribs were also a possibility, meaning an x-ray was in order. Head damage could also have resulted from some of his falls and Blaire's assault. Him staying at the hospital overnight seemed likely.

Nick's inspection had gone along fine. He was the least injured out of all of them. One checkup, some band-aids, a few shots later, and he was all alone in the crowded waiting room. All of the chairs were taken, leaving the tiny couch for him to lay on. He had been instructed by a nurse to wait here for when he could reunite with his family.

His head ached as everything caught up with him. The asylum had really made him tired and so many things were going on around him. His parents had made calls to relatives and to people who could help get the variants in what seemed like seconds before Nick was taken by a nurse. He faintly remembered a mention of looking after a Miles Upshur to see if he was safe to be released from the asylum. Apparently, the man felt like he shouldn't leave.

Nick was about to fall asleep with his thoughts when he felt someone poke his head. His eyes were looking at the floor when he opened them, so the first thing he saw were little feet in some sandals. He started to look up and saw that the mystery person was also wearing a blue dress and holding a corgi.

Finally, he saw her face. She was a little girl, Asian, her hair in two braids and with a bunny clip.

She looked at him with hopeful eyes, "May I sit here?"

Nick pushed himself up into a sitting position while saying, "Sure. By all means."

"Thank you."

The little girl sat next to him, setting the corgi on her lap. She seemed too preoccupied with something, so Nick didn't say anything. He simply laid his head against the wall as the little girl swung her feet. It was like that for several minutes. Even the dog yawned from boredom.

Finally, she spoke, "I'm Ae-cha. What's your name?"

Nick rolled his head so that it faced her, "Nick. What about your dog? What's his name?" He noticed the purple collar, "I mean _her_ name."

"Annie," she said with a smile.

"Can I pet her?"

"Sure!"

Nick held out his hand for Annie to sniff. After she did so, he scratched her behind the ears to the corgi's delight.

He didn't stop as he asked, "How did you get her in here? Is she a service dog? You know, those dogs that can go anywhere as long as they have those vests?"

Ae-cha shook her head, her braids swinging, "No, but I couldn't leave her alone. She's my best friend and I don't want her to get lonely. Also, I wanted someone to wait with."

"Oh, so you're here because someone you know is hurt. Not because you're hurt." He laughed as the corgi licked his hand.

Her eyes widened in panic, "Nobody's hurt!"

He quickly apologized, "Sorry! I assumed since this is a hospital..."

"Why are you here? Did you fall out of a tree? Is that why you have all of those scratches and band-aids?"

"I was in an asylum."

"An asylum?"

Nick explained, "It's a hospital where people go to when they don't think right, but this asylum's different. It was owned by this company called Murkoff. Do you know what Murkoff is?"

She nodded, "Daddy talks about them with Mommy sometimes. He says those people are really mean."

Apparently it was something the girl's father talked about in disfavor. It was also discussed by him often enough for the corgi to stiffen at the mere mention of their name.

"He's right. They aren't. They were being mean to their patients. Murkoff hurt them and then my daddy when he tried to tell on them. The patients fought back against Murkoff and were free to hurt each other. My brother and I had gone to save our daddy, and a lot of the patients tried to hurt us."

"Why?"

"I don't know. All I care about is that we saved our daddy, but my brother and parents are really hurt. I also made a friend at the asylum who I'm worried about."

Ae-cha smiled, "I'm sure he's alright. You seem to be okay too."

Nick shrugged, "I'm sore all over and I think I'm going to have lots of nightmares."

Annie, while still in Ae-cha's arms, tried to rest her head against the small boy in comfort.

"It must have been really scary there!" she replied.

"I have seen some real _shift_ there," he immediately thought of the man being killed by Gluskin.

" _Shift_?"

"I heard a grown up say it once." He suddenly felt the urge to change the subject, "So how are you?"

* * *

Owen sneered at his new bandage and sling, "I really have to wear this?"

"I'm afraid so," said the nurse walking him through the white halls, "You don't want those stitches to break. How are those painkillers doing?"

"Good, I guess," he responded, "It still really hurts."

"Give it time and the pain will get even duller."

"I can't wait to get this thing off! I want my arm to be just as it was again," he stated.

The nurse stopped, pity written all over her face. Owen stopped too, looking up at her in confusion. The doctor had said the sling would come off eventually, so why was she so startled by his proclamation?

She sighed, "Honey... your arm is never going to be just as it was again."

His eyes widened as he forced himself not to yell at her for saying such a thing, "What do you mean?"

"Mr. Park, do you know what scars are?" asked the nurse.

Owen had completely ignored the possibility of getting a scar. He thought it would be like an ordinary scratch; heal until there was no trace that it ever existed. It would be as if he had never set foot in the asylum. It would be like he had never once fought Eddie Gluskin to save his father and his brother from certain death. Now that he was reminded that there even was such a thing as scars, he couldn't deny that the gash was deep. He would have a permanent reminder of his escapade for the rest of his life.

The thought alone made him sick. It took much strength not to let more than one tear fall.

* * *

 **A lot is certainly happening so fast! It's a wonder Nick can keep up at all!**

 **Scars are no fun! :( I remember how disappointed I was after I got stitches on the inside of my arm, only to be told that it would never look the same again. Now every time I look at that scar, I remember the time I accidentally stabbed my arm with scissors while trying to open a karate kit. Poor Owen has one to remind him of that night!**

 **Please let me know how I did! A lot happened in this chapter, so I know there's a good chance of there being confusion!**


	26. Chapter 26

**It's been too long! :( I sincerely hope this chapter was worth the wait!**

* * *

Owen was ushered into the crowded waiting room. As soon as he stepped inside, he craned his head and stood tiptoe to find Nick.

He finally found him sitting on a little couch. Oddly, he had a corgi on his lap and the two were watching a little girl as she acted out a story.

Ae-cha stretched out her arms, "And then the biggest firework exploded! Annie got really scared, so me, Mommy, and Daddy all cuddled up to her so she felt safe. Annie likes cuddles!"

"One time, there was a firework show in California-that's where my grandma and grandpa live-and they were really loud too. My parents and grandparents cuddled on a picnic blanket, but I don't think they were scared."

Owen strolled over to the two, "No, they were just enjoying the fireworks together."

Annie's ears perked up at the sound of a new person. Ae-cha, meanwhile, looked over at Owen in curiosity. He gave a gentle wave as if to signal that he was no threat.

Nick took the liberty of introducing the two, "Ae-cha, this is my brother, Owen. And Owen, this is Ae-cha!"

He gave a polite nod, "Hi there."

Hearing that this new person was the boy's brother, she waved energetically before grabbing Annie from Nick and holding her out to Owen, "And this is Annie!"

"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Annie." Owen laughed as the curious dog licked his fingers before nuzzling against his hand.

Nick suddenly took notice of the sling, his smile dropping instantly, "Your arm..."

Owen sighed, "Nothing's broken. It's just to make sure I don't ruin the stitches by moving my arm too much. That's all."

"But you're going to be okay?"

"Of course I am!" Owen leaned against the wall, "Are you okay, Nick?"

Nick nodded, "I have a lot of scratches and bruises, but the nice nurse gave me really cool band-aids for the worst ones."

Owen sighed in relief, "Good to hear. Anything on Mom and Dad?"

As Nick shook his head, a tall nurse came up to the three, "Nick and Owen Park?"

Owen stopped leaning on the wall and Nick stood up, Annie in his arms. They were eager to hear about their parents, making them much more attentive than usual.

"The first few patients from Mount Massive have arrived not too long ago. Only one of them came peacefully. He identified himself as a Osmond 'Pal' Wallach. He knew you two?"

Nick ran up to the nurse and clutched her hand, "Is he okay?!"

"We haven't been able to check him yet because he stopped cooperating as soon as he got to the hospital. He's been on a rampage," she explained.

Owen raised an eyebrow, "Really? What caused it?"

She shrugged, "We aren't exactly sure why. The last thing that happened before he lost control was someone telling him the Walrider has a new host."

The brothers looked at each other knowingly.

* * *

The nurse used her badge to unlock the door leading into a large carpeted room. It had a bout six tables over by the side, all of which were knocked over. Shelves had also been overturned, and it didn't take long to see why. Many nurses were trying to restrain Pal, but he was simply too strong for any of them to handle. He was able to charge through them easily, roaring like an angry beast.

He punched a wall, creating a hole and causing his knuckles to bleed. A buff looking male nurse tried to grab his arm, but ended up being thrown across the room. The man hit the fallen tables with a sickening crack before falling unconscious. Everybody backed away as Pal began bashing his head into a window. The window barely cracked, but blood was becoming evident on the pristine glass.

"Pal!" the boys screamed. They ignored the tall nurse telling them to keep away and ran over to their friend.

Their voices stopped Pal from banging his head, and he whirled around to face them. Even though the bulge on his scalp was red, it couldn't hide the oozing blood coming out of it. The sight of his friends calmed him, and he fell to his knees.

Nick was the first to reach him, "Pal, you shouldn't do that!"

Pal looked at him, his lips upturned in a sad smile, "Perhaps Nicholas, but I can't find it in myself to care."

Owen glanced back at the terrified nurses, "Someone's probably called security."

"I still can't find it in myself to care. After my wife... after entering the asylum, Billy had been like a brother. Now I hear that he had been murdered by the Walrider's new host. Now I have nothing but my madness and a thirst for his killer's blood."

Nick took one of Pal's hands in his, "You have us."

"But for how long? You boys have lives to live and dreams to follow. I am to remain here."

"For how long?" asked Owen.

"I'd imagine forever. This is where the nurses plan to keep me for treatment, but the asylum has greatly impacted me for the worse. It impacts anyone who steps foot in it."

"But we'll all get better," Nick insisted, "The doctors say that I'm going to be okay and that my scratches and bruises will heal. Even Owen's arm will get better."

Pal looked at the sling, noticing it for the first time, "What happened?"

"I was fighting the Groom," began Owen, "Something stabbed my arm and left this huge gash. It needed stitches."

"And that gash will leave a scar. Much like how the horrors we have all witnessed have already scarred our minds."

Two burly men wearing security badges entered the room. Owen and Nick were a bit startled by their presence as they could be taking their friend away. Pal, however, didn't seem to mind them. Even as the two leered closer, Pal didn't even give them a second glance.

"You best be going."

Owen rested a hand on Pal's shoulder, "Nick and I will write letters. We will try to change your mind about the asylum's effects and try to make you happy. We'll help you because that's what friends do."

Nick nodded, "Billy would want you to be happy."

Pal sighed, "I suppose he would. You both reunite with your family. That was the goal from the beginning, was it not? I will be expecting those letters."

Nick wrapped his arms around Pal's neck, "We'll send them as soon as we can! We promise!"

"I'm counting on it." He nudged them toward the nurses. When the boys were far enough away, the security guards grabbed Pal and took him down a hallway. He didn't break eye contact with his friends until he was out of sight. Even then, the boys found themselves staring at the last spot they saw him.

The tall nurse ushered the boys out of the room, "Shall we go see your parents?"

As sad as they were, neither boy could deny that they were very eager to see how they were doing.

* * *

Waylon stared up at the ceiling from the hospital bed that he was laying on. He was heavily bandaged, what with having several fractured ribs, a damaged heel, and various other injuries. Doctors said he was very lucky that his foot wouldn't have to be amputated. It was nothing short of a miracle.

None of these injuries seemed to bother him. He had been given so many pain killers and his thoughts were too preoccupied. He had heard nothing about the condition of his wife and children, there was quite a bit of explaining that needed to be done to relatives, and there was the question of what happens now. Murkoff still had people out there who would do anything from keeping Waylon's footage from reaching the internet. He wondered if he and his family were truly safe or if they would need to go into the Witness Protection Program. That wasn't a life he wanted for his family, yet if their safety depended on it, then it must be done.

The future looked very uncertain, and it was frightening.

The sound of the door opening caused Waylon to shift his head toward it. A nurse peaked in before whispering to someone and leaving. She was replaced by Lisa holding each boy by the hand. They came into the room slowly, as if afraid any sudden movements would have some sort of negative consequence. Still, their presence caused Waylon to grin.

Nick suddenly rushed toward the bed, hopped up onto it, and gently yet firmly hugged him. Waylon could feel Nick's tears already soaking through his hospital gown. He was about to return the hug when Owen was suddenly on the bed hugging him too. It wasn't until then that Waylon could wrap his arms around his precious children, resting his chin on their heads.

The way the boys balled his gown into their fists reminded him of when they were even younger. They would do that right before he would leave for work, a silent plea not to go. To think the last time he left for work there was no clinging or begging, yet that could have very well been the last time they ever saw him.

Lisa made her way over. She sat on the bed next to them all before wrapping her arms around everyone. Suddenly aware of their mother, the boys adjusted so that they hugged both of their parents. All of them were hugging each other, Waylon and Lisa gently rocking the group back and forth.

Relief doesn't begin to describe how they all felt. It had been two weeks since they were able to hug like this, and all of them were more or less aware of how close these moments all together could only be a distant memory. Nothing more. It goes without saying, that much joy came from the fact that the whole family staring at the face of death and surviving.

Everyone's fears were put at ease, and tranquility filled the entire room as the family refused to break the hug.

* * *

 **Group hug! :D**

 **I think it's safe to say that Waylon won't be leaving his family for a long time. They're all practically glued to each other now!**

 **In the end, I decided to keep Pal alive. As I've said before, he got much more popular than I thought he would! Before writing this, I knew his death would bring some sadness, but as popular as he's gotten, having Eddie kill him would just be cruel. Now he's getting proper treatment.**

 **This isn't the last we've seen of the Parks, Pal, or even Miles! There's still Waylon uploading the footage and an epilogue!**


	27. Chapter 27

**It's about time! :)**

 **Phew, here goes nothing!**

 **I don't own Outlast! And I also borrowed characters from the story 'Milestones.'**

* * *

Weeks later, Lisa, her scratches disappearing, slid open the glass backdoor of her house. A smile graced her lips and her hands held small, red paper plates.

Waylon was sitting at the kitchen table, having just gotten off of an important call. His crutches were propped up on the chair he was sitting on. He forced a smile when his wife came in.

She threw the plates in the garbage and put a hand on her hip, "The chicken stir-fry is almost gone. I can see why it's a famous recipe of Young-ja's. It'd be such a disappointment to Mrs. Upshur if you didn't have any."

Waylon shook his head, trying to keep the smile on his face, "I'm not hungry. And I'm sure Young-ja wouldn't mind. That's more food for her husband. Ever since his nausea went away he's eaten more than any elephant."

Lisa sat on the chair adjacent to him, "Any particular reason you're not hungry?"

Waylon sighed before gently holding his wife's hands, "The federal agent called. Due to the fact Murkoff is in shambles with only one CEO alive and at large who would want revenge, the government doesn't deem it necessary that we should join the Witness Protection Program."

"Well that's wonderful isn't it? We get to live our lives as the Parks instead of moving from place to place as people we're not."

"Yes, but I can't get Julian's words out of my head. That Murkoff would be looking for everyone I love to use against me. He said my life would be over. The only reason I uploaded the footage was because I figured Murkoff would do more to be sure the footage never got out than getting revenge for afterwards. I screwed us over the moment I sent that email. This whole thing is just..."

Lisa reached one arm forward and brushed some of his hair out of his face, "There's only one CEO out there. And besides, if we live by the Walrider, he's certain to protect us."

He nodded, "I suppose."

"Also, isn't Julian the one that made the boys uneasy? Even after what happened? I wouldn't let his words bother you." She kissed his forehead, "Everything will be alright."

"I hope you're right."

She chuckled, "You're the one who tells the boys I'm always right."

The door slid open and Miles Upshur, still looking like he'd been to Hell and back but chirpy, stepped inside, "Don't want to interrupt anything, but we've got a bunch of kids in the backyard chanting for cake!"

"Oh right!" exclaimed Lisa as she got up, "We'll be right there!"

Meanwhile, all of the parents and relatives were watching as the kids continued chanting, "We want cake! We want cake! We want cake!"

The Walrider, unseen by most of those in attendance (the ones who never went through a devastating experience), was even spinning overhead in circles with the chanting. Annie was also running in circles around the table in which they sat. It caused Ae-cha Upshur (who had seen part of the footage from the asylum as well as her father covered in bullet holes) to struggle not to giggle.

Miles Upshur jogged back, approaching his wife, "They're on the way with cake and good news!"

Young-ja hugged him, "Thanks for abandoning all of us to deal with some wild children."

Next came Waylon on his crutches and with his cast fully on display. Behind him was Lisa, holding a large birthday cake with a red six for a candle. Cheers erupted from the table of children at the sight of the cake.

Nick sat at the end of the long table and Owen sat by him. On Nick's head was a yellow party hat with cartoon confetti and streamers. His face beamed when he saw the chocolate cake.

As tradition dictates, next came the chorus of 'Happy Birthday' and Nick blowing out the candle.

As Lisa took away the cake, she said to Owen, "I've got a few cupcakes without chocolate for you instead."

Ae-cha, who was sitting next to Nick and across from Owen, whispered, "Can Annie have one of your cupcakes? I'd give her cake but dogs can't have chocolate."

Owen looked under the table to see the corgi wagging her tail and panting in anticipation. It would be difficult to say no.

"Sure."

Nick addressed Ae-cha, "You're staying later than most of my friends, right? Do you want to see some of my toys later?"

"Do you have any dolls?" she replied.

"Um... I have action figures. And Owen has dinosaurs."

"Oh, I have dolls."

Owen cut in, "How about sometime, you can bring your dolls over and the three of us can create a story. You'll use dolls, Nick will use action figures, and I'll use dinosaurs." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "Maybe the Walrider can join us?

Waylon smiled as he watched the exchange. Already his boys seemed to be trying to move on from his experience at Mount Massive. They were even making a new friend in the process. Lisa was also trying to move on, for his sake. He wouldn't kid himself into thinking everything would go back to normal, but he'd like to think they could all be happy.

Perhaps not being accepted into Witness Protection was a blessing.

Nick saw Waylon and jumped out of his seat. He ran over to him with a smile even bigger than when he had seen the cake. Waylon wasn't sure what could have made his youngest so happy until he spoke.

"Daddy," he wrapped his arms around his father's good leg, "Thank you for keeping your promise."

Waylon remembered the day he left for the asylum he had promised Nick he would be back in time for his birthday. He had fought against cannibals, a robotic ghost, a giant, and Gluskin to escape back to his family. That was also how he kept his promise.

Despite this, he replied, "No problem, Nicky."

* * *

Pal sat in the main area, waiting patiently for the nurse to inform him if he had mail. The boys had kept true to their word that they would send letters. Nicholas even added some drawings on occasion. Sometimes the nurses would let him write back a reply. Those times were rare, as he wasn't trusted with a pencil or pen. The chance of him having another episode and stabbing someone made it too risky.

A nurse, the same one he had knocked unconscious when he first arrived, came over with an envelope, "For you."

Pal slowly raised his hand before snatching the letter suddenly. He then carefully opened it, not wanting to rip the envelope. He kept all of his letters, and preferred them to be in nice envelopes.

The first thing that popped out was a picture. Pal immediately recalled that Nick was turning six when he saw it. There were many people posing in front of a birthday banner. Owen was easy to spot due to his sling and Nick was front and center. They both looked much happier than Pal could've expected. Their teeth practically sparkled in the sunlight despite the Walrider looming overhead in the picture.

That was the instant Pal began to wonder, if perhaps the boys had been right about recovering.

* * *

 **The Parks will never fully recover, but they can get better!**

 **Remember in the original Outlast game when Miles had to film the interview Wernicke had? Remember the part where he confessed, "Only a test subject who had witnessed enough horror was capable of activating the engine." That's why only certain people at the party can see the Walrider.**

 **This isn't it! I should have the next chapter up in a few hours! I want to give people some time to view this one!**


	28. Chapter 28

**I can't believe it's the last chapter! D: I loved working on this so much!**

 **Lily, I couldn't fit the Walrider, Miles, and Young-ja in this chapter, but I assure you that the Upshurs and Parks are _very_ good friends and the Walrider was an awesome uncle and playmate for our little trio of munchkins. :)**

* * *

As weeks passed, so did years. Owen had recently graduated from college and Nick was a graduate in college.

Summer had approached, and the boys had returned from their colleges to stay with their parents until school starts again and Owen can afford his own apartment. That's why Owen was lying on his bed in his childhood room.

Having just woken up he stood and stretched. He was shirtless, leaving his scar completely on display. He looked at Nick's bed, only to see that his brother wasn't there playing on his phone.

"Oh yeah," he mumbled when he remembered Nick already had plans with his girlfriend and their long time friend Ae-cha. That girl adores her sleep. How Nick was able to wake her up and not get murdered was a complete mystery to Owen. Last he saw Ae-cha after an interrupted nap, he was tempted to hide everything fragile in the room.

Remembering that they all had plans for later, Owen slipped on some clothes before heading to the living room. Immediately, a middle-aged Lisa kissed his forehead.

"Good morning!" she said.

Waylon was on the couch working on his laptop, as he sometimes did since he became a computer programmer, "You better hurry up if you want to meet Nick and Ae-cha on time."

"Right," Owen said as he began to leave.

Lisa called after him, "And I don't want to get another phone call from the hospital saying you three snuck Annie inside."

Owen called back, "Don't worry. We won't get caught."

Waylon chuckled, "That boy."

"He's not a boy anymore," said Lisa, "You and I have raised two fine young men, Waylon."

He nodded in agreement, "Despite everything. We did."

Lisa sat next to him on the couch, "Nick had a nightmare about the asylum last night."

Waylon closed his laptop, "So did I. The usual I'm killed by Gluskin and I fail to protect all three of you. Trager got you and Walker got the boys."

She squeezed his shoulder, "It's just as I told Nick. Big Bad is dead. Miles proved it to everyone. And as for Trager, he does plague my nightmares, but Miles killed him and the Walrider destroyed his body."

"I wish I had gotten the pleasure to kill him. I passed his body on the way out and thought nothing of it. If I had known what he did to you..."

"I know Waylon, but I told you that everything would be alright. And now look at us. We found wonderful friends in the Upshurs, Nick has found a girl that he loves, Owen has long accepted his scar, and you and I have overcome every obstacle we faced since then. And we'll continue to do so."

Waylon gave Lisa a quick peck on the lip before telling her, "I plan on being by you always. You're stuck with me for the rest of your life."

"I'm counting on it."

* * *

Ae-cha flicked another petal into the air, "Are you almost done?"

Nick smiled, "The answer is still the same as it was when you asked two minutes ago."

The couple was on a large hill with a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains. They were having a competition like they would sometimes. Ae-cha's photos vs. Nick's art. Whosever image of the Rockies looked better wins. Ae-cha had taken a stunning photo, so Nick was focusing as much attention as possible to his painting.

Ae-cha was keen on distracting him, "You know. This is my best photo yet." She held up the Polaroid, "How much do you think I could sell it for?"

Nick shrugged, "I don't know. What I do know is that... I... am... done!"

Ae-cha immediately crawled over to him and hovered over his drawing pad. Nick's image was also breath-taking.

"This is definitely a close one," she said.

"We'll have Owen judge it later. Until then, I just want to soak up this view."

"It is pretty beautiful. And not just the mountains. Just look at Annie rolling in the fields down there."

They looked toward the base of the hill to see that Annie was enjoying herself in the flowers. She would alternate between rolling or running as fast as her old legs could carry her. It made her look like a puppy again.

Nick stood, "What is it about rolling on the ground that makes her so happy?"

He saw what was coming as soon as Ae-cha said, "Lets find out."

He lost his balance as his girlfriend jumped on his back. The two were sent rolling down the hill. When they reached the bottom, Nick despite himself was laughing along with Ae-cha. They laughed even harder when Annie came over to lick their faces.

Nick stood to brush himself off, but his face was grabbed as Ae-cha pulled him in for a kiss. While she looked like she was having a completely normal kiss, Nick's eyes were wide open in surprise and his arms were out at awkward angles. When she broke the kiss, he shook his head as he tried to pull himself together. The kiss had caught him so off guard.

"Well... we better get going if we want to meet Owen in time."

Ae-cha picked up Annie, "No comment on the kiss?"

"I'll give you your own surprise kiss later."

The couple started up the hill, "Do you have a death wish, Sunny Side Up?"

* * *

Pal was in a small room where one of the walls was completely glass. He didn't look like he aged much due to how the experiments had affected his face.

He sat by the glass wall, facing it siting down. He didn't even open his eyes when he heard his visitors on the other side of the glass.

"Pal?" said Owen.

He smiled, "You're back from college."

He identified Nick's voice next, "Yep."

Finally, Pal opened his eyes, "It's good to see you both. And you Miss Upshur."

Ae-cha nodded politely. She didn't miss Pal wink at her bag where Annie was hiding.

"How have you been Pal?" asked Nick.

"Better now that I've seen you. None of the other patients tend to be as friendly towards me. They fear me. I can't blame them. I would fear me too."

Owen shook his head, "Oh come on Pal, don't be like that. Haven't we taught you anything about being optimistic?"

"You have taught me many things. I hope I have taught you just as much."

"You did, Pal," replied Owen. "You did."

Pal smiled, "Now tell me. What antics have you gotten yourselves into since we last met?"

"Oh where to begin," said Nick, "How about when Ae-cha figured out the secret of getting Owen to doing whatever she wants? I speak of course, by chasing him with a chocolate bar."

* * *

Waylon Park was tired, His nightmare had deprived him of some sleep. It was the third one this week. That's why he decided to pull out his secret weapon.

Before turning off the light he set a piece of paper down on his nightstand. One that never failed to make him happy.

The paper was old, yellowing and having various wrinkles and rips. Some dirt had even found its way onto it. Right down the middle was scotch tape holding the two pieces together. The drawings on it didn't look like they had been drawn by the upcoming artist, Nicholas Park. Yet the stick figures held onto more of a meaning than any of his drawings since then. Those stick figures represented the people he loved more than anything in the world.

Waylon closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful slumber. Yes, the experience at the asylum would never leave him nor any of his family, but they still had each other to get through anything and everything. In the end, that's really all that matters.

* * *

 **How did I do?**

 **Gosh, I can't believe I finished. I feel like I have nothing to do now.**

 **I'm not entirely sure what's next. The blog I set up for this story will be used for the short story about Lisa and Waylon's wedding, but after that, I'm not sure. Another author and I have been talking about collaborating, so that could also work. I'm debating if I should use it for my upcoming fanfictions for Until Dawn and Saw. There is also my main blog that I'm currently using for random happenings in my life (my dogs seem to be the stars at the moment) that they might fit in.**

 **This was so much fun to write and I hope that you all enjoyed the ride as much as I did! :D**


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